Britney Sahin has done it again. Every book of hers that I’ve read grabs me in the first chapter and I can’t put it down. Allesandro is a billionaire playboy and sometime vigilante intent on keeping his bachelor status. Calliope (Callie) is a sassy schoolteacher and part-time singer/guitar player in Nashville who eventually wants love, marriage, and a family. She also recently found out her father is a mafia boss in Italy.

Sahin builds strong, believable characters that you want to love. Allesandro and Calliope are in a fake marriage to keep her father from forcing her to marry a man of his choosing in order to gain an heir to his “empire”. This story proves that you can have forced proximity even in a large penthouse. There are people trying to get rid of Callie and her father has sent his men to “guard” her. As they work to stay a step ahead of everyone, their fake feelings start to simmer but can they trust each other with their feelings?

This book has all the danger, intrigue, and emotion that is expected from a Brittney Sahin book. There are twists and turns that you don’t expect but make sense to the storyline. Not Mine To Keep is the second book in the Costa Family series and while it can be read as a stand-alone I think you should also read Let Me Love You which is Enzo and Maria’s story. This 5-star book should move from your TBR to “Currently Reading”!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Great 2nd book of the series. I liked the setting in Nashville and getting to know the Costa family more.

Another amazing and wonderful book by Brittney. The chemistry between Alessandro and Callie is off the charts. This book is action packed and pulls you in and keeps you turning pages from the start. Brittney is brilliant in her writing and makes you fall in love with the characters. I can't wait for the next book in the Costa series!

Alessandro, Le Sigh! And Calliope, as a Southern woman full of sweet tea and sass, I can't love her more. Once again, Queen B has upped the bar. This couple as absolutely made for each other. I could not put it down. The way Alessandro craves to protect Callie in all ways and the soothing balm she applies to his soul, just wow! The way this story was written was easy to read and kept the reader engaged, wanting to know what would happen next. The perfect amount of spice, and I have a new appreciation for a little "swat" on the ***!

This was a fast read for me. I enjoyed the couples dynamic and seeing different sides of the characters. I got kind of bored with the side plot though to be honest.

This is the next book in Brittney’s “The Costa Family” series. I believe this is her best written story to date. From the beginning of their story Alessandro is just plain old swoon worthy while Calliope is just downright lovable. Brittney has the unbelievable ability to pull you into the story as if it is happening around you, with a real-life believability that many authors are unable to achieve.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book before release!
The book was good, but could have been great. The relationship between Calliope and Alessandro was perfect! Was a tad slow for me at times but I also could put it down!

I absolutely loved Callie and Alessandro’s story! You will love the quick-witted banter, suspense, action, and romance. Brittney kept me guessing till the end. Love all the guest appearances from previous books.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved how they met which seemed random but was a set up. How he was definitely attracted to her before learning who she was. Loved the way the story progressed and they fell in love for real.

Mmm mafia romance! The tension, the action, the romance! It was everything you need in af mafia romance!

I would have liked to have read the other book in this series before, but it worked very well as a standalone!

Aaah there is so much I want to write about this book and don’t know where to begin! I believe this book has made it to my top list by Britney and of the year. This book was an emotional rollercoaster, in an exciting way!

Calliope, someone whose life changes in a blink of an eye. Just a small town teacher, but when her birth father enters the picture…

Alessandro, a man that believes he carries too much darkness. Makes saving a woman his mission but can that lead to a happily ever after?

Like a good story, HEA isn’t easy, there is a lot that any couple goes through. There was a point in this book where I had to just pause, the emotions that Britney’s words make you feel, no words. The characters are beautifully written, with such fun personalities. The nickname that Alessandro has for Calliope - never loved a nickname more!!

The Costa siblings and their text chats, so freaking funny and real. The parents, especially Alessandro’s father on his understanding and support. They were all so relatable and loved loved them so much! This book has me so excited for the future books to come in this series. 😉

Britney, if you read this…I believe this is truly your year! I have devoured all the book you have written in 2024 and have loved every single one so much! They just keep getting better and I am in such awe of you writing these! 🥰

15/10 recommend!

4.75⭐️ Not Mine to Keep is such an excellent read! Alessandro and Calliope ... the attraction is immediate and intense, the flirting is impassioned, and the connection impossible to miss, until a phone call changes everything. The billionaire who has a side-gig and the teacher who also sings may be forced together by outside influences, but their future is intertwined in the most intricate of ways.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book thanks to the phenomenal author and NetGalley for an honest review of the story.*

I have loved the Costa family since we were introduced to them in Let Me Love You. Alessandro is Enzo’s older brother and a self-proclaimed lifetime bachelor because of a particular us marriage that put him through a heartbreaking breakup. He is determined that his life will consist of no-strings-attached sex. That is until he meets Calliope. She awakens a feeling in him that he had thought was long ago dead. He is charged with saving her from a horrendous marriage to her mafia father's potential ally son. Alessandro can't let any woman let alone Calliope become a victim of this monster. She fights his proposal of marriage to save her but eventually relents. What she doesn't know is Costa’s plan to take her father and his hold on the mafia family down. Little by little the two of them fall in love and Alessandro and his family lay down their lives for her and she will for them as well. This book has all the feels. The laughs come courtesy of the Costa family and Calliope herself. A fantastic read. I can’t wait for the next book.

Wow! Intense, emotional and a beautiful love story. The suspense with twist and turns had me setting this book down several times to catch my breath. Bad guys ... check! Good guys ... check! Amazing read!

It took me about a week to finish NMTK. I really enjoyed reading this romance story between Alessandro and Calliope. Calliope DiMaggio (listen to the pronunciation) is a beautiful name for our feisty, Southern Belle heroine. She is a Nashville singer and a teacher but also the sole living heiress to the DiMaggio Mafia family. She has no plans of taking over the family business, but her father wants to marry her to a mafia boss.

On the other hand, Alessandro Costa plans to destroy the DiMaggio Empire to settle an old debt. And that is to temporarily marry the only living DiMaggio heiress. What started out as a marriage of convenience turned out to grow into a really passionate love between them. Would they honor their promises to end the marriage when their mission is complete...or will they give the marriage a chance of forever?

I really enjoyed Alessandro and Calliope's romance story! The banter between them made me laugh so hard and I got a bit emotional towards the end. They realized they could not live without each other and eventually fell in love. It was a beautiful story.

Now that they got their HEA, I can't wait for Hudson and Izzy's story in The Art of You!

I am an ARC Reviewer.

Brittney you've done another brilliant job in giving us NMTK. Alessandro and Calliope were an amazing couple and it became 4am reading frenzy with a "Just one more chapter." that didn't stop until the very end. Thank you for sharing your talent with us! You truly are a wonderful author.

The Costa siblings are back, and Alessandro Costa is turning up the heat in Not Mine to Keep!

In this sizzling addition to the series, the billionaire playboy who never saw marriage in his future finds himself doing just that—marrying Calliope Anderson (aka Calliope DiMaggio), a talented teacher and aspiring singer. His goal? To protect her from her estranged mafia boss father who wants to her produce an heir to take over the family business. Despite their undeniable chemistry, Alessandro and Callie grapple with past baggage and the intensity of their situation, struggling to fully open up to each other.

This slow-burn romance captivated me from start to finish, thanks to its compelling plot and rich character development. The crossovers with characters from previous series always make me squeal with joy, and this book is no exception. In true Brittney fashion, Not Mine to Keep delivers a perfect blend of suspense, intrigue, action, humor, and steamy romance.

Alessandro and Callie quickly became one of my favorite couples in Brittney’s repertoire, and this story is definitely one you won’t want to miss!

Each book just keeps getting better! Their story may begin with an unexpected and bumpy start, but Alessandro and Calliope's story is an action packed, turns you don't see coming, engaging roller coaster of emotions story that you will absolutely love. Grabs you from page one. Definitely an enjoyable series. I would highly recommend any book written by this author.

A billionaire bachelor and playboy, who dabbles in vigilante work on the side, crosses paths with a smart-mouthed school teacher, and part-time musician. Sparks fly, and attitude soars as they connect over shared chemistry and his lack of country music knowledge.

He never intends to marry, while she needs a marriage to save her future. She thinks she has 5 more years to find her future spouse as a newly-discovered mafia princess and only surviving heir to the bloodline. He learns she's about to be forced into marriage in a few days, and being the one to take her hand is his only chance at revenge. Together, they tackle the hurdle of wondering if you can find some light in the dark.

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This is my first time reading this author, and after seeing the multitude of really positive reviews, I was excited to dive in. I really enjoyed how despite this being partially into a 5 a branch off from an initial series, it didn't feel like you were missing a ton of context. I also enjoyed the nods to other characters and their relationships in the novel, as it was clear to see those stories would come around in the future to continue the series.

The development of the plot was steady and interesting, and I enjoyed the additional characters and how their own arcs contrasted with the leads, without them being lost in the shuffle.

I found the chemistry between Callie and Alessandro was solid, but the development and pace seemed way too fast. Within a week or so she was eluding to falling for him, getting jealous, and being upset about their temporary marriage ending. He was fighting against his own feelings and running hot and cold, but it felt off for me to see two characters openly admitting their interests that fast. Maybe if I'd read more of the other series I'd have the vibe set for this author, but I'm used to a bit more push and pull and chemistry development alongside time, before openly communicating they're a goner for the other.

I also found it odd to see how Alessandros' mother was made to be kept from his openly fake bride because she'd "get too attached." They had a scene where she forced her way into the apartment and was weird and clingy with Callie, but it was supposed to be played off as expected or normal. Being upset about being "kept from his wife" while being well aware it was fake was just odd and off-putting to me. It felt like unnecessary character interaction, just like Izzy offloading on her on her wedding day about getting and losing her as a member of the family.

Also, the male leads "damaging backstory" as to why he was incapable of love, despite the fact that he was regularly going to therapy and should have been able to process this felt odd too. It would be different if he was in his 20s, but we're supposed to believe an almost 40 year old man can't live with rejection for this long? While also going to therapy? I'd understand if he pined and longed for his ex without therapy, or was still young, or it was very recent. However, it just seemed like an illogical setup after breadcrumbs of him being broken from a previous relationship.

I would have liked to have seen more push and pull before confessing feelings, a bit less obsession from his family, and more options to see their feelings develop over time, versus such a heavy focus on plotting and planning their end.

Overall, it was a good novel and a series I'd read more of down the line!

The Costa family saga continues with all that is part of an Italian family: traditions, debts paid, loyalty, love, revenge, expectations, honor, trust, and suspense. Brittney weaves an incredible story of power of two opposing families. The main characters opposite, yet similar in that they understand what is expected of them though they come from very different backgrounds. One lives with hurt, self deprecation, and darkness while the other lives with optimism, humor, light and thankfulness to the person who raised her. Not Mine To Keep is definitely worth more than 5 stars and a must read for fans of Brittney Sahin.