Brittney Sahin has delivered another book I didn't want to put down for a single second in Not Mine to Keep. Alessandro and Calliope have an immediate attraction and connection to each other when they meet at a fundraiser, but once he learns who she is and why he needs to protect her, she's immediately off limits. The beautiful slow burn of their story is just... chef's kiss. There is so much depth and background to all of the characters involved. Not only Alessandro and Calliope, but all of the Costa siblings, and even those Alessandro is protecting Calliope from. I feel like I know each person like family. I am excited for whatever heartstopping, action-filled adventure awaits the Costa family next.

"She could capture the hearts of millions with a smile alone. But with a laugh? F*ck, she could end wars."

I enjoyed reading this action packed mafia romance. There was so much to the story. And the romance was cute, with lots of sparks and banter, a fake relationship/marriage of convenience trope and some spice.

Both Alessandro and Callie were interesting and loveable characters and I loved how they found eachother, love and family.
The mafia politics and missions didn't take the backseat in this book, which made it feel very real. Although perhaps it was a little too elaborate at times.

For some reason, for me, it wasn't one of those books that kept me up late at night reading because I couldn't put it down. But all in all, it was a really nice end of Summer read!

♡ Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for providing this ARC.

I loved loved loved this book! Such a great story! Plenty of suspense & tons of steamy scenes! As usual, Brittney Sahin did it again! Can’t wait for more from the Costas!

Not Mine to Keep transforms into Becoming All I Want. The mutual arrangement of marriage between Allesandro and Callie starts as a business arrangement and ends as a heated love arrangement. Lots of Brittney characters from other books make appearances against the Mafia and Country Music background. Intrigue, hot love scenes-- this book has all the makings of a romance action movie!

I downloaded this as an arc on NetGalley and I was so excited! For some reason I've been skirting around reading Brittney Sahin books for awhile since she does military romance which I am a sucker for. When I read the description of this book when it popped on my Kindle App as something I might be interested it I immediately put it on my radar. I went into it initially thinking it was just a mafia book but it also has elements of a military romance, YES! I also love a forced proximity, he she falls fast he falls harder trope and boy does this book have it in spades. This book had great plot, was sweet and spicy and gave me all the feels. I can't wait to read more in this series and go back and read more of Brittney's books.

I loved this book, but then again anything written by Brittney Sahin is a must read for me. In this In this book, there's a wonderful meat cute between the two main characters, Calliope and Alessandro. What is unusual or or maybe not. Is that They made it a Michael Maddox event that. is raising money for veterans. Just saying the name Michael Maddox. Brings back wonderful memories from some earlier books that Britney wrote. And in my mind, all I could hear were all the sayings that Michael Maddox came up with. That really puts a smile on your face.

So why is Alessandro there? He's there to save Calliope. He owes his friend a favor, his friend who now works for the head of the Mafia and the only way to save Calliope is to marry her. Calliope's father is a psychopath and is set to make calliope marry a man of his choosing to produce a heir. There are some parts of this book and what her father does to her, made me cringe. He does not care for her and the man he chose is brutal and defines evil. If she marries him her there is no saying what agony will befall her.

Without saying too much or giving the storyline totally away. I encourage you to read this book. There's lots of twists and turns. and the character development is absolutely wonderful. What happens when a mafia princess meets a rich billionaire? Well you're going to have to read to find out?

Brittney Sahin never disappoints and the second book of the Costa family series is no exception. Alessandro marries Calliope in an effort to take down her family's mafia empire. He wasn't expecting to develop real feelings and now must save her from her family's wrath.

💭Romance, action and spice? SIGN ME UP! This was my first book by this author but it certainly won’t be my last. I definitely need to read the first in the series and already can’t wait to read Hudson and Izzy’s story.

💭I loved Callie and Alessandro. Their connection was written so well. I loved the slow burn and how they tried to resist their feelings but in the end couldn’t help admit how they felt.

💭I don’t always love mafia stories but I did enjoy this one. The whole mission thing really added to the story to make it not the normal run of the mill romance. I liked that Brittney added enough detail for the story to be exciting but not too much for it to turn really dark.

💭I absolutely LOVED the little country vibes chucked in with songs named. Listening to the songs just added to the whole vibe of the show chapters. (& I got to add a few I hadn’t listened to yet to my playlist (obviously I already knew Tennessee Whiskey😂)).

💭Overall a fab read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I'm a huuuuuuge fan of the marriage of convenience/fake relationship trope, which this book has. The relationship and chemistry between the two characters was great. Unfortunately, this book didn't stand out to me as something fantastic or one of my favorite books, but it was a good read.

Not Mine To Keep was a awesome read, couldn't put it down. Brittney Sahin just had a way of writing that just sucks you into the story and you can't get enough. Alessandro and Calliope were perfect characters for each other, hot, steamy scenes, and one of the best action pack reads. They both had pasts to work through and fight together for the future, absolutely an epic read. Love this story and can't wait for the next.

This is first time I've read a mafia romance where the guy doesn't act like a jerk towards the girl. Not that the girl couldn't handle it if he did. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a sweetheart Alessandro is and how much he cares for Calliope. I was lucky enough to read the ARC version of this book and well... I think anybody who loves a good mafia romance with the marriage-of-convinience trope should read this book.

Just when I think Brittney's next book couldn't possibly be better than the last, she knocks it out of the park. Brilliantly written with all the feels. The chemistry between Alessandro and Calliope is insanely HOT! I couldn't read it fast enough and when I finished it, I immediately wanted to read it again. I absolutely can not wait for Hudson and Izzy's book.

This is my first by this author and I really liked it. There's an instant connection between the main characters which is one of my favorite things, but it's not what I would call instant love. There's a lot of doubt and mistrust due to Callie's situation. The draw to each other is there and you can feel it. They just have to work through things to recognize what that draw is. I'm not the biggest fan of denial, especially when it goes on too long. That is the case with Alessandro. You do read later in the book why he feels that way so it isn't just a fear of commitment. I enjoyed the many side characters and love that we'll be getting a few of their stories in the series. I'm happy I picked this one up to read.

No surprise to anyone—I loved another Brittney Sahin book! Calliope and Alessandro’s chemistry is off the charts, and what starts as a fake marriage turns into the perfect mix of romance and danger. Mafia romances aren’t usually my favorite, but this one has the perfect blend of drama, high stakes, and plenty of heat—such a great read!

<b>I am obsessed with Alessandro and Calliope! Just obsessed. Not Mine To Keep by Brittany Sahin is absolutely unputdownable! It had the twists, the thrill, the adrenaline rush and the explosive turns of an great romantic suspense. It had the perfect slow burn and angst of a marriage of convenience becoming real love. The chemistry is scorching hot. Alessandro is the epic alpha hero who just made me go crazy for him from the first page. The billionaire with a tragic past and a dark side? Count me in. Calliope was innocent but she was sucked into the world of danger, crime and evil due to her blood line. She is equally sassy and sweet. I was completely lost in the pages where passion, action, suspense, heartache and happily ever after unfold beautifully.</b>

✔️ billionaire romance
✔️ mafia romance
✔️ ex military alpha hero with vigilante family holding money and power
✔️ fake marriage
✔️ she is off limits

Ex military and now billionaire businessman with a secret vigilante side, Alessandro Costa was fascinated with Calliope at the first sight. Little did he know that she will become his next mission. To pay an old debt, he has to marry her and save her from her mafia boss father's nefarious plans and also take him down..while getting revenge for his brother. So many things can go wrong and the worst is falling for his fake wife.

<b>Alessandro Costa is so sure that he isn't worthy of love and that he doesn't want happily ever after. His military life and later the missions with his family taking down the evil all over world has left his heart hardened. Or at least he thought so. Because Calliope threatened to smash the walls from the first meeting. She ignited such an overwhelming and all consuming protectiveness and possessiveness in him. It was inconvenient and unreal for him. Calliope has been raised by her aunt and until recently she had no idea that her mother was Italy's most feared mafia boss' mistress. Now her father wants her to get married to man of his choice and handle the empire over to her. It was a mess. Alessandro took the mission of marrying her and convincing her father to let her stay with him in USA in name of revenge but all he wanted was to keep her safe. He kept himself away but Calliope got under his skin and inside his heart. Calliope knew falling for an emotionally unavailable man will only cause hurt but it was impossible not too. The plot is fast paced and full of danger. The action and suspense play a very important role and I was biting my nails all the time. My heart was beating fast in last few chapters. Callie healed Alessandro and he gave her everything he could. Love. Loyalty. Devotion. And the sex? Oh my god it was filthy as hell..Alessandro has dirty mouth. Since it was slow burn, the tension was building up and when the dam broke, it was explosive.</b>

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

To be honest, I'm usually reading Fantasy after Fantasy book; I'm talking vampires, shifters, etc - nothing necessarily "real life" related. But did this book reel me in from the first Chapter!

I didn't expect to love this as much as I do. The back-and-forth tension between Callie and Alessandro kept me wanting more, and I giggled probably more than I should have at a book. The plot twists had me gasping, and I loved the dual POV.

I enjoyed seeing their love grow and Alessandro's walls come crumbling down. The relationship between him and his siblings was absolutely heart-warming, and I loved every Italian cliche!

The action was fantastic, and there was enough detail with persons/places/things that you weren't confused at all by what was going on. I'm not privy to "military speak" - so having those random definitions explained throughout was really helpful!

All-in-all I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a really good romance novel with lots of open-door spice and action to keep you on your toes!

"Not Mine to Keep" by Brittney Sahin follows Alessandro and Callie.

Alessandro Costa is one of three Costa brothers whose father is in the Italian mafia. Alessandro entered the military and after the death of his sister, became a contract killer for one of the three letter government agencies. Once he fulfilled the deal his father made on his behalf, he and his brothers created their own security firm.

mafia ➡️ military ➡️ contract killer ➡️ private security

Calliope is the daughter and sole heir of another Italian mafia organization; an organization she wants nothing to do with. She's a teacher and a country music artist living in Nashville, TN.

In addition to the fake marriage trope and the romance between Alessandro and Calliope, we're given insta-love (3-weeks from the date they met) and a revenge subplot that spans 15(ish) years.

There's a lot going on in Alessandro and Calliope's story. So much so, that I found it hard to invest in their relationship and the story. The revenge plot doesn't pick up until the last 20% of the story. Brittney Sahin used this as an opportunity to reintroduce some characters from previous series as well as set the ground work for a relationship between Alessandro's best friend and his youngest sister.

While this story didn't hit the mark (pun intended) for me, I think "Not Mine to Keep" will be enjoyed by other romance readers.

STORY LIKES
⭐⭐.25 (rounded)
it was okay

SPICE
🌶️ mild

RECOMMEND
💳 - there are readers who will enjoy this story

Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake for the advance review copy.

Alessandro’s a billionaire vigilante, who’s a touch morally grey and set on saving Callie from a deranged psychopath. The only way to save her is to marry her. Their forced proximity, her awakening into Alessandro and her father’s world make for an amazing story that gripped me. I didn’t see any of the twists and turns coming and I cannot say enough about how amazing this book was!!

"And yet here I was, captivated by Little Miss Tennessee Whiskey. A.k.a. Calliope. A.k.a. mine."

- mafia romance (she's the reluctant mafia princess)
- playboy billionaire
- fake marriage
- protective mmc
- forced proximity
- 🌶️🌶️/5
- dual pov
- narrated by Connor Crais and Allie Piper

Premise: you're a playboy billionaire who reluctantly decides to fake marry a Southern belle who just learned she's a mafia princess to a) save her life, b) return a favour, and c) take down her family and the man who nearly killed your brother.

What a plot, huh? This was my first Brittney Sahin book, and I really liked it. It was a fast-paced listen, and Connor and Allie did a great job capturing the MC's unique accents – Alessandro grew up partially in Italy, while Callie is a Southern girl.

Alessandro made Callie feel safe from their meet-cute, even when she thought she should've feared him. He always put her first, although they'd only know each other days when they got married.

While the romance is a highlight, a lot was happening behind the scenes with moles, murder, and mystery… the usual mafia things 😅.

I'd definitely be keen to continue this series. It also wasn't as spicy as I expected (with less than five scenes, it didn't overwhelm the plot as it does in some mafia romances), which was a refreshing surprise for someone who is a little spiced out.

Thank you to Montlake for the early copy.

𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘰 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 follows mafia playboy Alessandro and mafia princess Calliope in a fake marriage trope to keep her safe while he plots out a revenge years in the making.

- ~ -

Sadly, this book wasn't the one for me.
The attraction felt too sudden and boring, did not feel like they complimented each other at all.

And all the suspense seemed too forcely built up as well, although this book isn't bad and it has its moments, unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.

- ~ -

3.76 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.