Let Me Love You by Brittney Sahin
The Costa Family #1

Excellent introduction to a new series and a joy to become acquainted to with a new author that could easily be one of my go-to reads in the future! I was up till 1:30 this morning finishing it and can’t wait to find another book to read by this author!

What I liked:
* The connection and chemistry between Enzo and Maria
* The slow burn after the sizzling first kiss – so much promise
* Maria’s knowing what she wanted and ability to state what she wanted even though it wasn’t necessarily acted on as quickly as it could have been
* Enzo’s inner turmoil that had to be overcome before he and Maria could be together
* The backstories of both families that unfolded over the book’s telling and the impact of “family” on the characters, their relationships, and who they may end up with
* The presence of so many alpha males and their female equivalents that may have already had their stories told or have stories waiting to be told
* The tie-ins between culinary knife skills and other skills knives can be used for
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing - exquisite
* The darkness that was evident at times…the good guy didn’t wear a white hat all the time even though he was a good guy in spite of some things he (and his family) had done
* That it left me guessing and as a person who often reads the end of a book first…that is saying something
* That I came into this series on book one and can follow the series chronologically
* You know what? I loved all of it except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* One or two characters that I will not name because…it could ruin the story for you – that said…was REALLY happy they were made accountable for what they did

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series/by this author? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Let me preface this review with a quote by Natalia in this very book:

"When will he ever realize he's not the villain in the story?"

While Enzo likes to make himself the villain and repeatedly makes sure Maria knows he views himself as such, Maria is not afraid to go after what (and in this case who) she clearly wants. And even though Enzo thinks very low of himself, he‘s been protecting Maria all the time. He took care of her and watched out for her even while she was married. Experiencing Enzo (and Maria obviously) getting his happy end despite his self-doubts and sometimes even self-sabotaging ways to protect Maria is amazing. Your heart aches for his seemingly lost soul and I loved that Maria was never afraid of who Enzo is and who he was in the past.

I loved that there was no doubt about their feelings for each other from the beginning. And while it still took them some time to finally admit their feelings to each other, we learn why Enzo never felt good enough for Maria, even though deep down he always wanted to be the one for her. And Maria proves time and again that Enzo is who she needs and that she wouldn’t want him any other way. To use Enzo’s words: Hell isn‘t just his playground alone if Maria is his equal. And she is.

Honestly, Brittney is just the absolute best at what she does. She constantly manages to grab and hold your attention. She makes you fall in love with every fictional character she writes and that‘s what I love so much about her books.

And with Brittney you always get it all – the suspense, the romance, the spice, the heartfelt moments and all that‘s in between. If that is what you like, this book is it for you

This is not a typical mafia romance. This is a story of a very slow-burn romance between two people who have been pining for years. Intense feelings between these two are deeply meshed throughout the book.
Enzo has some fierce protection issues for Maria. He is all in but does not feel worthy due to his past activities in life. Maria has loved him forever but also has a past loaded with issues. She did bug me at times by constantly pushing him when he had a lot to work through.
The author keeps us on edge several times and perfectly blends the suspense with their intense feelings. She balances the two lovers and gives them qualities that endear you in this story. Let Me Love You is spicy hot, intense at times, and the ending brings us to a level that just makes the entire book!
This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the book as a whole. It is well thought out, and paced well, plus she created a fabulous character in Enzo.

"Love is a risk for a woman in danger and a mercenary sworn to protect in a blistering novel of vengeance and redemption by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin. Six years ago, Maria Romano got her birthday wish—a kiss from Enzo Costa. A man she could never take her eyes off, but who seemed as haunted as her favorite book boyfriends and strictly off-limits. Just one unforgettable moment in the dark and then he was gone. Now Maria is a divorced single mom, moving on and open to romance again. Fatefully, it’s with the new head chef at her sister’s Enzo. A gentler man than the one she remembers, yet fire still burns. And a warning still don’t get too close. Enzo is embarking on a new life, too. And falling in love with Maria shouldn’t happen. He has far too much blood on his hands, and he carries his damaged past like a shadow. But he can’t ignore the impulses drawing them back together. When his secrets plunge Maria into danger, Enzo must become the man he once was to keep everyone safe. Will he go off the deep end and never find his way back? Or will Maria be enough to save his soul?"

This book quick read, a little steamy here and there. Great storyline, the storyline has you guessing. I recommend for 18yrs and older. I give this book 4 stars.
Thank you to Montlake, netgalley, and the author for a chance to leave an honest review.
Published Oct 10th, 2023
Thank you to

i Like the Story and the characters.
so much light and darkness, Familybusiness and Love
great Mafia romance

have Fun reading!

Full of heart, suspense, spice and family. It was a fun story and it weaves together former stories/characters (but it isn’t a spoiler for anything and you don’t have to read former books). Enzo and Maria had great chemistry and they sizzled! I really enjoyed this story!

I don't normally read mafia romance books because I find them over the top and unbelievable, but I really enjoy Brittney Sahin is one of my favorites, so I gave it a whirl. I have to say I enjoyed the story. The characters are over the top but in a good way. They definitely keep you engaged in the story. There are points in the story I had to put the book down and walk away due to the amount of steam pouring out of the book. Can't wait for the next one.

I loved this book. It so well written, the characters were relatable and the story line was amazing .

Brittney Sahin has the ability to bring readers into her world that readers will be unable to leave until the end of the story. Her world comes together from all the other series the author has written. Readers do not need to read the other series to understand what is going on in Let Me Love You.

I will admit I am not a fan of mafia type of series because they are always dark, lots of steamy romance and very little story line. While Brittney Sahin does follow the lead of most Mafia type romance stories the author add her own little flare.

Thank you to Netgalley

5 ⭐️ Action, angst, surprise twist and romance make this a great read.

Brittney Sahin has a new series with the start of Let Me Love You. If you want your romance with action, angst and heat this is a book you should try. This is a spin-off of the Falls Security series with overlap of some characters, Jesse and Connor, with the Costa brothers. You don’t need to read the other series to enjoy the story. Enzo and Maria are dark and light to each other, they have so much history and chemistry I loved how Brittney wove it together for the ending.

There are several twists to the storyline that I really loved and kept me reading late into the night. Two things struck me with the story, one was the story Bianca wrote. No spoilers here. The second is Enzo and his younger sister Izzy’s relationship. Their scene towards the end made me fall in love with Enzo.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Costa brothers(and sister). Could Hudson be her match?

Enzo Costa is a dark, broody man that Maria was warned to stay away from repeatedly. He was her first kiss, but not her first lover. She is now a divorced, single mother and she is not going miss her second chance with Enzo. He left NY behind and whatever had happened there, and came to Charlotte to work as the chef in her sister’s restaurant. She has struggled to find her own path, but one thing she is sure of is that he is her love and she will fight for him, even against himself.
Maria is the light to his darkness and Enzo cannot bring her into his world. Even though he left it behind in NY, it still stains his hands and he does not want to darken her world or put her at risk. Despite his best efforts to resist her, he continually plays with fire unable to resist. Then this old life comes knocking at his door, putting it all at risk, including Maria. He has to go back to NY to resolve this and she will not let him go alone. He and his brothers have unfinished business and he cannot let Maria love him until it is resolved.

Just a good one.
Read it in one sitting. Four stars read.
I deeply enjoyed it.
Thanks to netgalley for this book

This was such a good read! I loved Enzo and Maria from the get go. What a rollercoaster. This story had it all, drama, suspense and spice. I couldn’t put it down.

Let Me Love You was one of my first mafia style romances, and I really enjoyed the way Brittney Sahin wrote all of the characters, most especially Enzo and Maria. The amount of slow burn at the beginning to the crescendo of their relationship was done so well I was almost sweating for the amount of anticipation I had for them. Enzo has lots of demons to face as well as secrets he thinks he needs to hide from Maria about his past, and the way she gets him to open up and face all of them together was unmatched.
I did not realize this book was part of a series and had not read any other books by Brittney Sahin before reading this. I definitely think it can be read as a standalone, but it does make you want to read more about all of the side characters that show up in this book.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am so grateful to Brittney Sahin, Montlake Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mafia romance is not a genre I usually read. However, if it’s not one of yours either then I do recommend you try this one.
Maria Romano has lusted after Enzo Costa a long time. She married to appease her family, and is now a divorced single mother. Still with a crush she going to try and get over.
Enzo has always known he’s no good for Maria. However, if he doesn’t make his move on her he’s going to be side-lined and lonely.
I really liked how the author gets these two to realise they are perfect together. Throw in the Mafia ties, and you get some nice twists in the story.
I will definitely be looking out for next of the Costa brothers stories.

I received a review reader’s copy of the book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Let Me Love You is the story of two people who have always been attracted to each other but never got together for a lot of reasons. Maria starts the story young and a little bit lost. The only thing she is sure of is that she wants to try to have a relationship with Enzo. Unfortunately, Enzo believes he's not good enough for Maria and he pushes her away. Many years pass and they end up working together. The chemistry is still there but will Enzo's past keep them from their happily ever after?

Maria is the simplest part of this story. She wants Enzo but he pushes her away. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, so she ends up working at her sister's restaurant. She marries a man her mother likes and ends up divorced because he's a cheater. She ends up as a single mother. And all she wants is a chance to be with Enzo. Seriously, she doesn't really experience any growth during the story. Enzo has all the angst! He has a past he isn't proud of, and he wants to keep Maria away from it. When it looks like his past is coming back to haunt him, he realizes that he loves Maria, and he needs to clean up the mess so he can have any sort of peace. At times this felt like two stories in one. I'm not going to give it away but some of Enzo's backstory is bonkers. And the bad guy was crazy.

My one issue with this story was that the author included moments of tension that were punctuated with Enzo thinking how much he wanted "adult activities" with Maria because of the tension. Seriously? You are in a life and death situation, and you are thinking about boom chicka bow wow?! It makes no sense and it made me lose the flow of the writing because all I could think in that moment is that Maria needs to run far and fast.

This is a contemporary romance that takes place in North Carolina and New York. This story has a lot of family in it because they are critical to telling Enzo's backstory. I will read more from this author in the future.

As I am coming to find out Brittney is a queen at slow burn romances, and this was no exception. While you see Maria and Enzo share a kiss on her birthday you all see him tell her he is too old and experienced for someone like her. Which leads Maria to marry someone else and have a daughter, while Enzo watches from afar.

A few years later and after failed marriage Maria is working with her sister and handling the catering side of the business. Trying to co-parent with her cheating ex who is unreliable, living next door to the one man she can't stop thinking about, and ready to start dating again. However Enzo just can't imagine her with anyone else but him, even though he knows his troubled past isn't something he wants to get Maria messed up in.

So when three thugs come to rough up Enzo he fears that his past has come to pay up. He knows he has to look into the threat and Maria isn't about to let him fight this battle alone. Knowing she is the one that can keep his soul from going to far into the dark side she joins him on a trip to meet up with his family.

Full of mystery and suspense and lots of tension draws out the romance side of the story while also bringing a spiderweb of revenge, mafia ties, family drama, and nonstop action. Once it got going I didn't want it to end.

This was another book I picked up without knowing anything about it or the author, but I am so glad I did decide to read it. I haven’t read a mafia book in awhile and this story was a good one. Enzo loves Maria, and she him, but they have a ways to go before they get their HEA. Enzo is still in pain from his twin sister being murdered many years before, and Maria is divorced with a baby after she leaves her cheating husband. Along with the usual “family” issues between other mafia families, this story was well written with a story that was easy to follow and a good slow burn romance that was entertaining. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Enzo and Maria were definitely worth the wait. We discovered how long Enzo had been waiting for Maria and how unworthy he thought he was. Maria told him what she thought of that, and it was terrific. These two were fire! This book flew by with excitement and the adorableness of Enzo, particularly when he was taking care of Chiara. Those scenes were the best. We met Enzo's brothers and sister, and I am sure they have stories to tell. It was all so very good. If you have read Brittney's books, you will love this book with all the cameos from her previous and current series. But don't worry if you haven't. You will still enjoy the pure adrenaline rush of some of her scenes and all the excitement as the mystery unfolds. An excellent read!!

Enzoooo 😍
I absolutely loved Enzo and Maria's story.
Enzo is the brooding type that took yrs to finally go after Maria, the women of his heart. The smeggsy tension between the two and the added suspense and action made this a need-to-read in one sitting book. Brittney Sahin keeps outdoing herself with her writing style that just keeps getting better with character built, depth and world built. She easily one of my favorite authors.

This book gave me all the feels while reading! I couldn’t get enough and the pages did not turn fast enough. I loved it.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.