✨ NetGalley ALC Review ✨

Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Secret daughter of a mafioso / Italian morally grey billionaire
Nashville singer and history teacher FMC
Former military MMC
Romantic suspense
“My wife”
Touch her and 💀

3⭐️
3🌶️

🎧 Narrators:
Allie Piper and Connor Crais

This was such a amazing read. Starting from the characters, plotline and scenarios, everything was on top notch and the pace was well maintained throughout the whole book. The characters were penned down brilliantly, not only the protagonists shine throughout the story but also the side characters too. The spotlight was given to each and every character to shine and contribute to the book.
I had a great time reading this one.

I was truly so excited for this one. The high ratings had me so hyped up.... the story just didn't work for me. The writing was so juvenile, their connection just didn't work for me, it wasn't believable. There was no excitement, nothing really happened in terms of plot. Just wasn't for me.

I absolutely loved this pseudo-mafia romance from Brittney Sahin! And before you ask, no, you do NOT need to read book 1 to read this one - I didn't, but I am sure thinking about it now! Calliope is a mafia boss's daughter, but she was not raised by her Italian sire. Instead, she was raised in Nashville, and is as country as they come! She is also a history teacher, which I identified with, as I am also a history teacher in Tennessee. :) This also has one of my absolute FAVORITE tropes - an arranged marriage with a billionaire. Allessandro, while not mafia, is a man with revenge on his mind - that is, until he actually falls for his wife. The characters literally come to life in your mind, and the slow burn is BURNING! They will both do anything to save one another - read and find out!

This book is narrated in Dual style by Connor Crais and Allie Piper. Connor with a slight Italian accent and a Tennessee accent.
YES PLEASE

What do you get when you have a teacher who turns out to be a mafia princess and a broken man unable to move on from rejection in his past and turned playboy looking for revenge?
A marriage of convenience with a side of "I can't" and a heap of "my wife"

Definitely a top-tier read/listen.

The intensity from the first meeting of Alessandro and Calliope was extremely hot and had all the warning bells going off. Calliope's snark and take no bull was evident from their first encounter, and it continued and delighted throughout the book. Her outlook and determination to shuck everything to do with her donor dad had you bouncing in your seat just knowing this was going to be so good! I think the part that gripped me the most was how quickly and completely Alessandro fell and fought to believe it. It's always fun to witness the transformation of the alpha male as he comes apart and realizes he's so not going to like admitting he's fallen. The passion and heat melted off the pages with so much clarity it became part of the forever reel in my head of great scenes that live rent free. Grab it quick and prepare to be unproductive for a bit as you devour the pages. You won't want to stop or for it to end!

I loved the story and the narrators chosen for this book! Such an easy listen! I loved the Italian Accent used and though Connor was an amazing choice for our MMC!

I have read everything that Brittney has ever written, and her writing is amazing. I really liked the plot and the storyline of Mine To Keep. I liked both Alessandro and Calli and could feel their chemistry throughout the book. The narrators for the audiobook were great and fit how I pictured the characters perfectly. I'm at a weird stage in my life, and reading certain tropes causes me to have to fast forward through scenes and I found myself rolling my eyes when she was being told what to do or the talk of taking a belt to her butt just ugh. That is just a me thing, though, so take that for what it is. Well written as always! I enjoyed the majority of the book!

Hmmm I mean I do love the troupes and I love a mafia romance, but it wasn’t really what I expected maybe? Honestly, this one took longer for me to get through because I wasn’t always excited to get back to the book to finish it… it was sort of just ok…. And it definitely helped me pass the time while walking and driving..

I do wonder, if i read it instead of listened to the audiobook if I would like it more 🤔 sometimes books are meant to be read and not listened to maybe….

Nevertheless….I did like the narrators voices! Although, that southern twang thing was kinda annoying for me… sorry 😣 Connor was fantastic though! Love that Italian accent and smooth low tone 😉

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
♥️Mafia- ish
♥️Marriage of Convenience
♥️Grumpy/Sunshine
♥️One Bed
♥️Open Door
♥️Dual POV

I received an advance listening copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow! I can't say enough about this book!!! I have been following Brittney for quite a while now and she just gets better and better. The story is filled with intrigue and mystery, with great chemistry with the lead characters. Can't wait for the rest of the stories about Hudson and Constantine!

Always an absolute fave author of mine writing just another phenomenal story that I just couldn't put down! I just ate this one up and instantly wanted to re-read the second I was finished. Everything I need and want from start to finish.

🎧𝐀𝐋𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 - 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚊 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 #𝟸
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗮 #netgalley
⏳ 𝟭𝟮𝗛 𝟭𝟮𝗠
🎙️ 𝗗𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀 & 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗿

🔥ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇɴꜱᴇ
🔥ɪᴛᴀʟɪᴀɴ ʙɪʟʟɪᴏɴᴀɪʀᴇ
🔥ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ
🔥ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ
🔥ᴍʏ ᴡɪꜰᴇ

💓𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗲𝘆🥃

💭Alessandro is a charming billionaire who's got a playboy reputation, and Calliope, a Southern belle/teacher who finds out she’s actually a mafia princess. They end up faking a marriage, which is supposed to be a temporary thing, but things heat up between them, and you know it won’t be a marriage in “name” only😉

This was my first read by Brittney Sahin, and I really enjoyed it! I was intrigued by the premises of a billionaire and a mafia princess, and their dynamic is such a fun ride. Alessandro isn’t your typical billionaire; he has this secret side gig as a vigilante, making his back story more interesting. Although the sparks fly from their very first meeting, it's a slow burn that keeps you hooked, even as they navigate their fake marriage. Their interactions are filled with witty banter, heartfelt moments, and plenty of sizzling chemistry that kept me hooked until the very end. The build-up until they finally get together is so worth the wait!

🎧𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄🎧
I'm absolutely obsessed! Connor is already one of my fave, and rocking that sexy Italian accent? I can't even deal, it's so damn hot! Every time he spoke, I couldn’t stop squealing! Allie is new to me, but she absolutely nailed Cal’s southern accent, making his character feel so authentic. Their performances together were pure magic. This was an amazing listening experience from start to finish. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check it out. Highly recommend!

✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 BRILLIANCE PUBLISHING 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙰𝙻𝙲, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨

This is the second book in the Costa family. This story is a marriage of convenience, slow burn romance between Alessandro and Calliope. This story is filled with passion, heat, danger, intrigue and family honor. Balanced among the suspense and intrigue, we watch as Alessandro falls in love with his wife. The love that develops between these two is beautiful. Listen to this amazing audiobook to hear them reach their HEA. Connor Crais and Allie Piper were both phenomenal in their narration of this fantastic book.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next story in The Costa Family series and savored every moment of this story. Alessandro’s story was everything I didn’t know I wanted. It starts with a meet-cute where chemistry burns hot that turns into a forced/arranged marriage. They try to deny their mutual attraction, but of course that is a futile effort. Then it all ends with the suspense elements coming together in a plot that will have you on the edge of your seat. Once again, Brittney takes readers on a wild ride with a sweet love story and I loved how these two stories blended together all the way to the thrilling end. I am so glad I didn’t rush through this opposites attract, arranged marriage, billionaire, military, romantic suspense. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.

Alessandro owes a friend a debt and meets Callie at an event only to learn that she is the debt. For most of her life, she had no idea she was the secret daughter of the head of the DiMaggio mafia family. Her “father” has plans for her and Alessandro is the means to both protect Callie and stop DiMaggio while also providing his family the opportunity for long awaited revenge. Their marriage was arranged. They weren’t supposed to fall in love. But even Alessandro isn’t strong enough to avoid loving the woman who was meant for him.

This story was a fantastic slow burn journey. As an extra treat, I also was able to listen to the audio. Connor Crais and new to me narrator, Allie Piper were fantastically cast for these roles. I enjoyed Conor’s portrayal of Alessandro’s frustration about the situation he finds himself in and when he gives in, it’s so very satisfying. Allie’s performance carefully toed the line between Callie’s inner strength and fish out of water reality when she is thrust into the gray underworld her father and the Costa’s live in. My only small issue was the fact that the narrators didn't agree upon the pronunciation of the name an important side characters name. The ending had me desperate to see how things would work themselves out and I was happily surprised about the twists and turns the story took. As always, Brittney gave readers a fantastic read which is why she’s one of my favorite authors.

What a fabulous book. This series is absolutely compelling to read. The characters are diverse, complicated and totally different. I love the interaction the connections and the way they interact. The story is full of drama, suspense and intrigue. Once you start this book you won’t want to stop. Once these two meet it’s chemistry all the way. Life unfortunately doesn’t make it easy for them tho. Who they are, who their families are make for a tense and exhilarating ride to find their own hea. With each book you get more and more hooked into this family. I can’t wait to read the next book by this amazing author. The audible narration was excellent. It totally enhances the enjoyment of the book

have been anxiously waiting for another Costa Family book, and I loved this one. The story had me completely enthralled and was fast paced. Alessandro and Calliope were amazing characters, and I loved their relationship. They are forced into a marriage that neither of them want and seeing how they go from kind of hating each or at least the idea of each other to being the only ones they're meant to be with was beautiful. I loved the 'my wife' vibes from Alessandro from the start, even though he didn't want this relationship. As per usual Brittney fashion, the twists and turns were incredible and will keep you trying to figure things out along with the characters. We got to see older characters of Brittney's, and I always love seeing old faces. I also feel like we really got to get to know Alessandro's one brother Constantine, and it's made me very excited to get his book. She also fully teased Hudson and Izzy, and I cannot wait for their book next! I read the book and listened to the audiobook. What a ride, Connor Crais has easily become one of my favourite male narrators and killed it being Alessandro. Allie Piper is new to me, but she was amazing as Calliope and her southern accent was perfect!

Audio book source: Netgalley
Story Rating: 5
Narrators: Connor Crais and Allie Piper
Narration Rating: 5
Length: 12h 12m

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
▪︎Spice Level: 🌶🌶/ 5
•Narration: 🎧 🎧 🎧 🎧 /5 -Dual tyle
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Bookshelf Worthy: 📚📚📚/5
•Platform: Audio and E-book
•Recommend: Yes
▪︎Re-read/re-listen: No
•Trope: Marriage of Convince, Age-gap, Touch her and 💀 vibes, Girl in trouble.

• Thoughts:
I was really struggling with how to rate this one. I liked this book but I didn't love it. There were a few things in the book that had me feeling off. This story was interesting, and always reading a Brittney Sahin book, she will have you awe in spired with her intricate and very thought out plot. I like Alessandro, and I liked Callie separately. I am very very interested in what happens in book 3.

•Narrator Thoughts:
Connor Crais and Aly piper were incredible. I have never heard of Aly but dang this will nit be my last book! I loved them narrating.

The wedding of the year!

Mafia-light, fake marriage, teacher/country singer heroine, protective hero, easy as a standalone, KU read and listen title.

The Costa family is back with more suspense and romance. Great chemistry and banter between Alessandro and Calliope/Callie (his little miss Tennessee Whiskey). Highly recommend.

Excellent narration! Allie Piper is a new narrator for me and she sounded exactly like I pictured Callie. Connor Crais as Alessandro - enough said.

Alessandro and Callie meet at a fundraiser Callie has out and mistrust because of who her father is (Armni DiMaggio a mafia Don).Alessandro plan to marry her to protect her.can Alessandro convince Armani DiMaggio to let he marry.
There is definite incident about to happen?
Can he keep her safe? Can they have a Happily Ever After?

This is a great book , Brittney never disappoints!
This book has lot of action, suspense, danger and intrigue,.

Great Job Brittney Sahin !!!!~~

Suspense, action, and excellent narration in a cinematic-worthy story.

Brittney Sahin creates the most swoon-worthy heroes. And none better than Alessandro a slightly morally grey playboy who’s a teddy bear underneath for the women in his life. Calliope Anderson is the current woman in his life as much as a mission of protection can be. But with every moment that passes the feisty school teacher/ singer burrows deeper and deeper under Alessandro’s skin. He agrees to marry Calliope to settle a debt and to protect her from the intended husband her mafia boss “father” wants her to marry. A fake marriage for three months and they’ll both be back to their normal lives. Well, there may be one or two ‘eliminations’ in between…

If you’ve never read a Brittney Sahin novel, get ready to be lured into a fantastic unputdownable book by a master storyteller. The action, suspense, steam, and buildup of emotions throughout her stories keep you enthralled and reading well past bedtime. Her characters will live long in your mind after you’ve finished the story; you’ll crave more of them and hope she brings them back as a cameo in a future book. They are multi-faceted, well-written, and people I’d like to be friends with (or protected by <3). I love the supporting characters and hope they (in time) will get their own stories. I enjoy her crossover cameos, it’s a chance to catch up on people from previous books. The action and suspense are written so well that the movie plays in my mind as I read. These books would transition effortlessly to the big screen. Ms. Sahin’s stories are unique and captivating, and I can’t wait to read them. Allie Piper and Connor Crais put their excellent and masterful talents to the characters of Callie and Alessandro. Definitely worth listening to again and again! Next up in the Costa series is Hudson and Izzy, and I can’t wait for the tension and suspense to come.