he belongs to the predator—and fear is the foreplay. Vincent Ferro knows every secret Chloe Rhodes has tried to hide from him—including the darkest ones she barely admits to herself. As the man who controls New York’s criminal underworld, violence has always been part of his world. It was never supposed to become part of hers. Until someone makes the mistake of hurting the woman he loves. Vince has spent a lifetime proving there are no limits to his violence. For Chloe, he’ll prove his devotion can be just as ruthless. But what happens when the only person standing between Vincent Ferro and the woman he loves...is her? Chloe wants safe; she wants normal; most of all, she wants distance from the man who makes her crave everything she knows she should fear. Vince has already lost her once; he won’t do it again. He’ll stalk her. Watch her. Hunt down anyone who gets too close. And if getting Chloe back means making sure the only place she can run is straight into his arms... He’ll dismantle her life until she has nowhere left to turn but to him, forcing her into a gilded cage she’ll have to call home. Because Vince knows something Chloe refuses to admit. Running from him has never stopped her from wanting to be caught. Vincent Ferro isn’t asking for another chance; he’s manipulating one. Because touch her and die is only the beginning.
S.L. Knight writes raw, obsessive dark romance where love is messy, possession runs deep, and humiliation burns hot. Her heroes are dangerous, possessive alphas who break beautifully. Her heroines have teeth, agency, and the courage to survive the darkness. When she’s not writing, she dreams of owning a farm for rescued pit bulls. She lives with her husband—who has villain-level abs—a judgmental velvet hippo, an oversensitive Malinois, a tiny Pom who rules them all, and her daughter, who somehow manages to be her beta reader, greatest supporter, best friend, and favorite person all at once.
Vincent Ferro is definitely not the kind of man you bring home to meet your mother! Morally black, possessive, and gloriously unhinged, Vince has one goal when it comes to Chloe Rhodes: claiming her, body and soul, and he has absolutely no intention of taking no for an answer. Chloe wants normal. Safe. Predictable. What she gets instead is a man willing to burn the entire world to the ground if it means becoming the only place she has left to turn. Vince has been watching Chloe for a while, and when it comes to her, there is no line he won't cross and no limit to how far he's willing to go. So, when someone targets Chloe to get to him, his already ruthless nature takes a decidedly darker turn. Suddenly, Chloe finds herself caught between the safe, ordinary life she thought she wanted and the dangerous, obsessive man who refuses to let her walk away. But perhaps what Chloe fears most isn't Vince's darkness. It's the darker side of herself that comes alive in his presence. Watching her struggle against those instincts before gradually learning to embrace them was one of my favorite parts of the story. Because sometimes, the most terrifying thing about a monster is discovering just how much of one lives inside you too. Vince and Chloe's relationship is a heady, volatile cocktail of love, fear, jealousy, and all-consuming obsession. Their dynamic is impossible to ignore, and so is the scorching chemistry between them. While the story is set against a mafia backdrop, the real focus is firmly on these two and the twisted, complicated, deliciously dark relationship that develops between them. And what a relationship it is! The steam is plentiful, with kink and BDSM elements adding another layer to their already intense connection. Is it dark? Absolutely. Messy? Without a doubt. A little chaotic? Oh, you bet! But Vince and Chloe are the kind of couple who get under your skin and refuse to leave. Love them, fear them, or question every single one of their life choices, one thing is certain: you won't forget Chloe and Vince in a hurry. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Intense. Sexy. Morbid. Fascinating. Obsessed. So complex your head will spin.
Opening BROKEN TIES and immediately falling into a fully immersive experience. That’s become the norm for me with SL Knight’s books. I love KL Knight’s twisted imagination. The triggers are real for this one—if you’re like me, they’re like an appetizer menu, if you’re a pearl clutcher, well, you might want to find something a little less . . . this. 😉 Love BROKEN TIES. And I have to say, I was 100% team Vincey the entire time. I would never have — well, you’ll see. *** Recommended ***
MMC: ✨Vince FMC: ✨ Chloe HEA/Cliffhanger: ✨HEA Tropes: 👉dark antihero romance 👉touch her and ☠️ 👉high heat 👉possessive mmc 👉dual POV 👉dark humor Triggers: ⚠️ Please See Content Warnings Page For Full List of Full List of Triggers ⚠️ 💥18+ 💥 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️, mf, open🚪sex, cnc, dub-con 💥profanity 💥graphic violence, blood, gore, abuse, SA themes, 💥kidnapping / abduction, captivity, human trafficking ref 💥death / murder 💥drug and alcohol use I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Broken Ties is a dark, intense mafia romance with a volatile couple, plenty of danger, and enough obsession to make “healthy relationship goals” leave the room. 😂 Chloe and Vince’s dynamic is built around power, control, and the parts of themselves they usually keep hidden. Their chemistry is strong, and the dual POV lets us see how differently they experience the same relationship.
Chloe was the character I connected with most. She has a dark side she’s still trying to understand, but she also wants safety, independence, and the chance to make her own choices. I liked that the book takes her emotional response to real danger seriously, especially when it forces her to question where fantasy ends and trauma begins.
Vince is dangerous, possessive, and completely comfortable being the monster in Chloe’s story. His protective side is there, but it doesn’t erase how controlling he can be. That tension is part of what makes the relationship compelling, though there were moments when I wanted more accountability from him and more time for Chloe to process what she had been through before the story returned to their intense push and pull.
The pacing kept me turning pages, but the relationship sometimes circles through the same pattern of jealousy, provocation, control, and reconciliation. I would have liked more breathing room for their emotional development, particularly after the darker events. The mafia setting adds danger and atmosphere, though I wanted a little more of the world beyond the central relationship.
The spice is frequent, explicit, and very much part of the story, earning five peppers from me. The book also includes consensual non-consent and dubious-consent themes, stalking and surveillance, kidnapping and captivity, threats of sexual violence, human trafficking, torture, and graphic violence. Check the content warnings before reading.
Would I recommend it? Yes, to readers who enjoy very dark mafia romance, possessive and morally dangerous characters, intense power dynamics, and explicit spice. This one won’t be for everyone, but its messy, high-stakes relationship kept me invested.
My Final Verdict: Broken Ties gave me the darkness, obsession, chemistry, and heat I expected, with an emotional thread that added more depth than the romance alone. I enjoyed the characters and stayed hooked, but I wanted more space for Chloe’s recovery and more meaningful accountability from Vince. Those things kept it from five stars for me.
Final Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 Stars | Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 5/5 Peppers
Notice: I received an ARC directly from the author. Reading and reviewing it was completely voluntary, and all thoughts or opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Review By: SASSY Queen of the Nookish Chaos SassyReviews • SassysNook
First and foremost, OMG CONGRATULATIONS to my best friend S.L. Knight on BOOK TWO in this incredible series!!!
Babes, I have watched how much of yourself you pour into these books. I see the hard work, the dedication, the stress, the late nights, and the absolute love you have for these characters. Getting to be right there beside you, cheering you on and constantly reminding you that darker is ALWAYS better and no, that is absolutely never too much, has been so special to me.
But beyond being an incredible author, you are an incredible friend. You are always there when I need to vent, lose my mind, talk something through, or just need someone in my corner. I love you endlessly and I am so freaking proud of you. Congratulations on book four, babe. You DID THAT.
Now let’s talk about Vincent freaking Ferro because apparently S.L. woke up and chose violence with this man.
Vince is everything I want in a dark romance man. Obsessive. Possessive. Manipulative. Ruthless. Completely unhinged when it comes to the woman he loves. The fact that he is not asking Chloe for another chance but basically deciding he is going to create one himself had me absolutely FERAL.
And Chloe and Vince together? The tension. The darkness. The push and pull. The obsession. Chloe wants safe and normal while Vince is basically standing there saying, “That’s cute,” before dismantling every possible escape route until she has nowhere to go but straight back to him.
THIS is the kind of morally gray man I came for.
I also loved that underneath all of Vince’s darkness and violence is this completely ruthless devotion to Chloe. He may be terrifying to everyone else, but when it comes to her, there is absolutely nothing he would not do. Touch her and die really is only the beginning with this man.
Broken Ties is dark, obsessive, intense, emotional, and deliciously unhinged. Book two somehow took everything I already loved about this series and turned the dial even higher.
S.L., I am ridiculously proud of you. Keep writing them darker. Keep making me question my fictional man standards. And please, for the love of morally gray men everywhere, NEVER ask me if something is too much because you already know my answer.
It’s never too much.
Congratulations, bestie. Five HUGE stars. I love you and I cannot wait to see where you take us next. 🖤
• 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 - - dark mafia romance - obsessive & possessive hero - stalker romance - touch her & die - forced proximity - dual POV - both are obsessed equally
• 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 - Broken Ties follows Chloe Rhodes and Vince Ferro, a dangerous Mafia boss who is completely obsessed with her. What starts as their twisted little game of cat & mouse slowly turns into something much deeper, especially when Chloe is taken by people who want to hurt Vince through her. After everything she goes through, Chloe starts questioning their relationship and the darker side of herself that comes out when she is with Vince. She tries to walk away, but obviously this man is not exactly someone who knows how to let go lol. Their story becomes this messy mix of obsession, fear, love, jealousy and two people who are just as dark in their own ways. I honestly had SO much fun reading this. Vince is absolutely unhinged, possessive and completely obsessed with Chloe, but Chloe is not some quiet heroine either. I loved that she had her own darkness & actually fought back instead of just accepting everything. The whole atmosphere was dark, intense and addictive, and I kept wanting to know what these two were going to do next. Their emotional side was definitely one of my favourite part. S. L. Knight is officially one of my dark romance authors now. I’ve been reading her books back to back as ARCs, and somehow they have all been 5 stars for me. I genuinely love how dark, obsessive and chaotic her stories are, and Broken Ties was another one that completely worked for me. Thanku so much to the author for another 5 star read!! & thank u booksirens for the book!
I want to first say thank you for this ARC as it is one of several I have read from Book Sirens! And it did NOT disappoint!
Oh Vinceyyyyyyy. This man kept me on my toes until damn near the end. I truly was like “how is he going to come back from this?” 😅 this man is dark, obsessed, and well beyond morally grey. But Jesus, I loved it and I feel I need a tiny bit more therapy from how many times I justified this man’s actions in my brain 🤣🫠 he was never going to give up on her and he was going to make her believe it no matter what.
Chloe fights her dark side so aggressively but in the end, she gives into Vince. And honestly….i get it sister. (Again, therapy, I know.) They were a force to be reckoned with and gave me a wild ride through the book. I loved Chloe’s full circle moment of, in a way, finding herself again, accepting what she was and being okay with who she is.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dual 1st POV Touch her and 💀 Possessive Lots of CNC Mafia Kidnapping The chase 🔥
I just finished *Broken Ties* by S.L. Knight. I had no idea it was the second book in a series when I started it, but honestly, I never felt lost or like I was missing important context. It worked perfectly well as a standalone for me.
This was a great book about obsession, and Vince is one of those characters that stays in your head long after you finish reading. He is the kind of man you hope you never meet in real life, but once you do, you can't imagine wanting him to leave you alone. There is something addictive about him.
What I loved most is that beneath all the darkness and obsession, Vince sees the parts of you that you try to hide. He finds what is missing inside you, forces you to face it, and somehow makes you proud of it. It's unsettling, intense, and strangely beautiful at the same time.
Definitely a book that will stick with me for a while.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Vince is a man who knows what he wants and gets it by any means and he wants Chloe and he had her, in the most dark depraved possesive of ways but when she gets taken by his enemies, she realises she cant be in his dangerous world, for fear of what he makes her feel, but Vince has no plans on giving her up. This story is dark twisting and utterly captivating! The lengths Vince will go to have her and how Chloe sees her self in the darkness, just blend the story together for an unforgettable read. Well written engaging steamy desires drama action, violence, trauma and more
Both of the main characters are exactly the type of toxic I love in a Dark Romance novel. They fit each other beautifully to the point where they're basically two halves of the same coin.
The book explores some rather dark topics, but as long as you're fine with them it's a damn good read. I am grateful to have been allowed to read this book and am looking forward to more from S.L. Knight.
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily**
I both loved and hated Vince. He's so exciting to read but he'd be a nightmare in real life. His obsession with Chloe was all consuming but his actions and forsite are horrible. That being said, they were kinda perfect for eachother. Lots of messed up spice, hard, strong feelings and a bit of action. Check triggers as there are some heavy topics and chapters.
Dark and depraved and absolutely fantastic!! If you like your spice dark and dangerous you will love this. This book is not for the feint hearted. One of my top authors when it comes to dark erotica. Be prepared to read non-stop, as you will hate putting this book down! I received an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.
Vince and Chloe have a very unconventional relationship. Chloe likes the chase but when it becomes real Vince must show her that he is never giving her up no matter how much ch of a monster he has to be. Absolutely loved the hot and steamy obsessive story!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At this point, very few of the "stalker" trope books have much difference. That's unfortunate. If you like the same formula, then this is for you. That said, take out the "Stalker" trope and it's a decent book. There's a definite power dynamic, control/protectiveness, and spice. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Vince is your OTT stalker. He takes stalking to the max. His e is Chloe. Chloe is his life and he will do anything for her. When someone threatens her and takes her she realizes he isn’t what she wants. Vince spends time watching from the dark, ready for her to admit the one thing she refuses to. That she loves him.
The plot felt like other books that I've read in the same genre. That made the twists feel predictable. I still enjoyed the story and finished the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the first book of the Lethal Devotion series. Vince and Chloe’s story held my interest all the way to the end. There’s stalking, kidnapping, obsession and possession. It’s an engaging mafia romance.
This book was a wild ride. Be prepared. I enjoyed it and finished it in a few hours. Loved Vince although not sure how he missed the flowers. The was a great read, quick, and had all the feel in my opinion. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ARC REVIEW Broken Ties is the 2nd book in the Lethal Devotion Series and it is DARK!! Gonna say it now read your triggers before diving into this one! I had a conversation with S.L. Knight as I was reading Broken Ties and she mentioned that Vincent is more black on the morality scale and I couldn't agree more with that! I read Twisted Ties from Booksirens & loved that one, I was so excited when Broken Ties came up! I love Vincent & Chloe's relationship, even though it can be quite toxic on Vincent's part, but they fit soooo good together!