I loved Dom by SJ Tilly the first time I read it, and the second time I loved it even more. Sometimes binge reading a completed series the second time will bring to light all the things you may have missed the first time around and I feel that in the case of Dom, it was absolutely true.
Dom by SJ Tilly
Dom by SJ Tilly is book 3 in the Alliance series. It is a dark mafia romance that was published September 21st, 2023 and is 474 pages long. You can find the book on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and the author’s website here.
Premise
After a man crashes into Valentine at the airport, breaking the strap of her backpack, he insists on replacing it. Then he insists on buying her a cookie to replace the one she dropped. And then her seat is upgraded and she ends up spending the entire flight seated next to the man. He tells her to lean into new experiences, and she decides to do it.
Exchanging numbers the two talk for a month before fate puts them both in Vegas, and sure she might have woken up married to the guy but she’s determined to make the most of it. That is until reality comes crashing down and she realizes the man she married is Dom Gonzalez, head of the Chicago mafia.
Triggers
Triggers found in Dom by SJ Tilly include:
- Murder, Violence, Death
- Sexually Explicit Scenes
- Mention of death of parents
- Gun Violence
My Thoughts
Here’s the thing about SJ Tilly, she will suck you into a story. With my reviews I often have to go back to refresh my memory or find quotes. The problem with this is sometimes when I do that I end up spending an entire day reading as I get sucked right into the story.
Valentine’s life hasn’t been easy, she’s spent a lot of time alone and deals with feelings of abandonment. She truly believes that eventually everyone will leave her, like they always have. And in this story I felt that to my core.
“Is this you leaning in?” I whisper. He smirks. “You’re getting it now, Mama.” Mama. Jesus. Fucking. Christ. – Dom by SJ Tilly
Dom is every bit obsessive, protective, and possessive as the men in the previous books, but his betrayal hits hard. I didn’t know if I wanted to reach into the book and pull him out just so I could throw my tablet at him, or if I wanted Valentine to hear him out.
“If the question had been will you wear my ring, or would you prefer I tattoo your whole-ass finger like a psycho, my answer would’ve been a little different.” – Dom by SJ Tilly
So needless to say, I stayed up late reading this book, twice, and had a whole slew of emotions, twice.
And that doesn’t even touch on the endless amounts of banter. Top tier banter.
“Maybe I didn’t make myself clear when I tattooed your name across my fucking throat. This”—I tap the letters—“is so everyone knows who I belong to.” – Dom by SJ Tilly
This fictional man was skilled in the art of dirty talk. A freaking plus. There were quite a few hot and steamy scenes that will keep you hooked and flipping pages almost as much as the plot does.
I’m a sucker for character growth and this book had loads of it. Not only did we witness Valentine learn to trust someone, but we also got to witness growth in Dom as well. The way this hard unyielding man grew soft for her. Heart eyes and sighs.
“Here’s your fucking towel,” I snap, then throw the whole toaster over the top of the glass wall. I make sure I don’t hit him because I don’t want to actually crack his head open, but the sound of metal meeting marble is satisfying as hell. “What the—” Dom jumps away from the noise. I turn and leave. Message delivered. – Dom by SJ Tilly
The story was heavily focused on our main couple so we didn’t get to see a lot of the side characters. But I got a kick out of interactions with his family.
Dark and twisty. This book was an emotional roller coaster for me. There were plot twists and the right about of sweet scenes mixed with the darker ones.
Who Would Like Dom by SJ Tilly?
Tropes in Dom by SJ Tilly include:
- Age gap
- Mafia
- Forced Marriage
- Breeding
If you liked The Psycho by Nikki J Summers, Tempted by the Devil by Michelle Heard, or Twisted Lies by Ana Huang you will likely love this book.
Make sure you check out my posts on all the Alliance series books:
Have you read Dom by SJ Tilly, or are you adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments below. I love interacting with other readers about books I loved.