MC: Calliope (FMC), Alessandro (MMC)
Setting: Nashville, TN; Catania, Sicily; Rome, Italy; New York City; Constanța, Romania
Genres: Romantic Suspense, Mafia Romance
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Bad Boy/Good Girl, Billionaire Playboy, Age Gap, Close Proximity
Triggers: gun violence, torture, forced marriage, assault
Epilogue: Yes

Synopsis: Alessandro and Calliope's worlds unexpectedly collide when they are suddenly thrust into a whirlwind of danger, deception, and mafia politics. Callie, recently revealed as the daughter of a Sicilian mafia boss, faces an arranged marriage meant to secure her family's legacy. Alessandro, summoned to help her, is torn between protecting Callie and fulfilling his personal mission for revenge. As enemies target them and secrets unravel, the two must navigate a perilous path—balancing loyalty, power struggles, and a growing attraction that neither can ignore. Together, they must push past insecurities and decide if their love can survive in a world surrounded by darkness.

Thoughts: Alessandro and Calliope make a phenomenal couple. From their chance meeting, to eventual forced partnership, their chemistry was off the charts. I just loved their meet-cute at the veteran benefit. I immediately adored both characters from Alessandro's internal thoughts about Callie, to Callie's quick wit, specifically with her line "When your eyes make it to my face, I'll give my words." You could tell Alessandro was a goner from the beginning. Despite what he repeatedly said about their arrangement being temporary and that he would never have feelings for Callie, his actions sure showed the exact opposite. He continually contradicted himself, only making it more confusing and frustrating for Callie. I'm glad she was stubborn and developed a strong determination to push Alessandro past his comfort zone. Although she did try to keep their set boundaries in the beginning, I think she knew deep down they were good for each other, and that their mutual feelings were worth pursuing. I don't think any other character could get past Alessandro's walls. All parts of her personality snagged his attention, and he quickly became a reformed playboy. Not only because of her willfulness, but sassy quips and soft vulnerability too. This allowed him to let go and be comfortable enough to be the same, showing what she coined his "sweet teddy bear" side. And teddy bear Alessandro was absolutely adorable! Particularly under the influence of drugs. He was so cute in Chapter 16 when he visited after completing her father's mission for him. The two of them were like magnets, always drawn to each other, no matter their physical or mental state. The book was such a page-turner from the action and storyline, to the constant tension emitting from each page. I think my favorite part of the book might be Alessandro and Callie's text exchanges. I reread them, especially Alessandro's, because they were so sweet and he seemed to be more honest during these conversations. This book also had some exciting foreshadowing scenes for Hudson and Izzy's relationship and book. I'm looking forward to reading their story next, as Brittney's books only seem to get better and better. 

*ARC Review

This is definitely not my first Brittney Sahin book that I've read. I have loved her books for quite some time and she is one of my favorite authors. I love that she blends the military aspect into romance and creates a easily readable suspenseful and spicy story!

This story follows Alessandro, glorified playboy, and Calliope, a school teacher who just found out that she is the daughter of a mafia head. They meet unexpectedly when Alessandro is supposed to be taking a side gig for someone. He realizes quickly that she is the side gig, to protect her and keep her safe. He agrees to marry her in a fake ceremony. What they don't expect is that both of them will start to develop feelings and when the time comes to maintain the safety forever and fight her father and others, they both decide that it's time to come clean with their emotions and that the fake marriage isn't really as fake as they thought.

I really enjoyed this book. The author obviously researched the military background of her story exceptionally well to weave it into the romance. I always like the male characters of her stories and how they seem to be type A, no nonsense, not ever going to find love but then they end up being super sweet in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley, Brittney Sahin, and Montlake for allowing me to review this Arc!

This is book two of the Costa Family and it was a superb story to read. Here, I was taken on a spellbinding journey of Alessandro Costa and Calliope DiMaggio.

Alessandro is attending an auction for Vets because he was summoned to be there. While waiting for the individual, he meets a beautiful woman who grabs his attention. She is witty, on her toes, strong willed and can sing like an angel. Within a certain amount of time, he receives a call and realizes it's time for him to pay back a favor and that it has to do with the very woman in front of him. He knows his life is about to change.

Calliope, is definitely intrigued by the billionaire that she's been bantering with, that is until she spots a man across the way. Now, she believes it's her unwanted Mafioso father who just put another suitor in front of her with this gray eyed billionaire.

These two characters will clash in the best of ways. The author did such an amazing job with the development of the plot and characters. I was given all of the feels with this book, from "wanting" to learn more about the characters, to truly experiencing their struggles and feelings including tears. I look forward to reading the rest of this series. I definitely highly recommend this author. I know for me, when a story can make me vested in not only the characters, but in the entire family while grabbing at my heart in different ways...then the story becomes a "keeper" for me. This was the case for me. What an excellent read.

Alessandro Costa has a debt to repay, but he never thought the price would be marrying the daughter of Italy’s most infamous mob boss. Callie Anderson is not your typical mafia princess. She wants nothing to do with that world and initially thinks Alessandro is another one of her father’s ploys to bring her into the family. She quickly realizes that marrying Alessandro is the lesser of two evils. He only wants to keep her safe, but how will Callie protect her heart from her new husband? Or will New York’s most eligible bachelor be the one to fall?

Callie is off-limits and Alessandro is trying to do the sensible thing, but their attraction will not be denied. The lead up to the moment they finally give in is full of barely restrained tension and explosive chemistry. The “my wife” moments are superb. Their flirty text conversations and banter turn into heartfelt confessions and deeper emotions in a short period of time, while danger swirls all around them. The stakes are high and these two rise to the occasion. Dolly would be proud.

This story is action packed and takes readers all over the world from Nashville to Sicily and Rome, then to New York and Romania. The Costas need a little help with their plans and The League shows up with an epic assist. The cameos from the Dublin Nights Series felt like a warm hug from some of my favorite characters.

I was on the edge of my seat during the final scenes of the book, but Brittney brought everything to a satisfying resolution that left my heart full and completely invested in Callie and Alessandro’s HEA.

I cannot wait for Hudson and Izzy’s book, and I have theories about Constantine. I think he’s going to be the one that breaks me…

Thank you so much to Brittney, Montlake & NetGalley for this ARC.

Not Mine to Keep by B. Sahin is book 2 in the Costas Series. The previous book is Let Me Love You.
This is Calliope and Alessandro's story. Well written ,not as thralling as book onne, but good nonetheless.
Blurb: The name DiMaggio means mafia royalty, but Calliope, the dynasty’s last living heir, is no princess. A teacher and singer in Nashville, she’s moved as far away from the generations-old criminal legacy as she can. But she still can’t escape her dying father’s reach, or his plans for her arranged marriage to carry on the family name.
Alessandro Costa. It’ll give him a chance to take down the DiMaggio patriarch and his empire, settle an old debt, and save Calliope from a catastrophic fate. But when the attraction between them sizzles, business becomes pleasure and a marriage game becomes the real thing.
It only raises the stakes. Because now they are living in the shadow of men who’ll do whatever it takes to. With their love on the line, Calliope and Alessandro are ready .

Absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with Alessandro and Callie from their very first encounter in the book! Alessandro is every girl’s dream, tall, Italian, rough & tough, and “teddy bear”. Callie is all the spunk and sass that a FMC should be! It was easy to keep the pages turning on this book!

What an amazing book!! Alessandro and Callie’s story starts off with a bang and there are more layers peeled back throughout. They have an instant connection that they try to resist, but can they? With all the twists thrown their way I had a hard time putting this book down

Awesome. Alessandro and Callie's union is the lesser of two evils, a phrase mentioned several times but Callie is more than just an assignment for Alessandro despite his attempts to distance himself from her and Alessandro is the opposite of evil, though woe betide anyone who dares harm those he loves or protects. Callie is delightfully feisty despite her circumstances. The author excels at weaving this romantic, heart pounding story filled with drama, danger and romance and makes the reader feel that they are right there in the action as well. Brilliant.

All I can say is WOW! Brittney has done it again! This book hits you in the feels! It is full of heart, action, and adventure. Alessandro and Calliope have off the charts chemistry. The tension between them is fire! The characters have depth and are well written. One of my favorite things about Brittney’s writing is her ability to create characters that are relatable and likable. She pulls you into their lives and makes you feel like you are a part of the story. Alessandro is a teddy bear under his gruff, playboy exterior. Calliope is sassy and smart. I loved getting to know more about the Costa family. I enjoyed revisiting some of my favorite characters from previous books and catching up with them. Brittney never disappoints and she is always on my must read list! This book can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading it after book one in The Costa Family series, Let Me Love You. I can’t wait for the next Costa book!

"Not Mine to Keep" is definitely a keeper! I thoroughly enjoyed being re-immersed into the Costa brothers world once again with this 2nd installment in "The Costa Family" series. It was a rollercoaster of suspense, angst, and heat (the good kind, if you know what I mean)! Callie & Alessandro had great chemistry in this book, & Callie being portrayed as a strong, independent woman who was also flexible & reasonable when it came to the important things (like her safety) made her relatable & believable. I love this in particular about Brittney's writing, she writes real, believable characters who do relatable things. that help immerse you in the book completely. Another highlight of this book is the inner dialogue written for Callie, it was adorable & at times hilarious! Alessandro is also well written & comes across very aloof & single-minded in his goal to "only protect" his "temporary" wife. Things quickly heat up between him & Callie & it is hot, hot, hot! I recommend reading the first book in this series & then quickly diving right into this one, they are both different storylines & yet are tied together & compliment one another extremely well. This series is also a great "teaser" into the mafia/broody/kinda-sorta morally grey/touch her & d!e main male character genre. I highly recommend it!

Book magic made!! Alessandro and Calliope smoke the pages. Steamy romance and the fall of an alpha confirmed bachelor to a loving sexy husband. Throw in some mafia intrigue and suspense to make an excellent well written book. Brittney Sahin continues to draw us into the Costa dynasty.

Brittany has done it again! This book was so good. Alessandro might be my new favorite (next to Roman that is :) I loved the name Calliope and her character was great and was such an awesome fit for Alessandro. I can't wait for the next book.

I just love books with playboy billionaires! A girl can dream, right?! Not Mine to Keep is a winner!

Wow! Just, wow! This author's books keep getting better than the one before,,,, and I didn't think that was possible. Once more she has crafted a complex and tightly woven plot that drew me in from the first page.

I loved the characters and found myself invested in their story, wanting them to get a HEA ending. Alessandro is the perfect alphahole, bossy, yet somehow endearing and redeemable. Callie is the sweet innocent, who is forced to did deep to find the strength to face her challenges.

Fans of the genre will love this book. Put this one at the top of your TBR list, but don't start it too late in the day or you'll be up all night reading.

The author is on my must read authors' list.

Not Mine to Keep is the second of the Costa Family series, and Brittney's story telling only gets better with each book in each series! I loved the character of Alessandro immediately - quick, loyal, & vulnerable, & thanks to Brittney's details, hot. I enjoyed that he references his therapist often, ha - a must for anyone in his line of work - so he's evolved as well. I always enjoy how Brittney's writing is so descriptive & evocative - that is so much of what draws you in to the characters, the story, their surroundings. Once The League was mentioned, I was really hooked, knowing we would see some of my favorite characters - from her Dublin Nights series. Family is a strong theme, & makes Alessandro that much more appealing - & appealing to Callie, the heroine, as well.
Brittney does a great job of weaving details of the story together to keep drawer her readers in, & more & more invested in her characters throughout the story. I love how clear it is that she does her research into the subject matter to make her stories realistic & take you as the reader into worlds you know nothing about but are excited to find. Her stories are the perfect mix for me of mystery, intrigue, & a couple to root for!
I am a fan of the whole Costa family at this point. The groundwork was laid & the anticipation created for Hudson & Izzy's story next, & we got to see enough of older brother Constantine to be excited for his story, too. Can't wait!

Alessandro is super protective of Callie, wanting to keep her safe from her father and others in his organization. Callie grows to trust him as their attraction heats up. Together they fight their attraction either out of sense of duty or risk of falling in love but when they finally fall- holy hotness!

I love every single Brittney book. She is brilliant in how her stories build with suspense, keeps you captivated, and its always fun having cameos from characters in her book world. The Special Ops teams get the adrenaline flowing, but the Costas keep my heart pumping.

❤️❤️ My ARC Review- Not Mine To Keep ❤️❤️
❤️📖 This is the second book in The Costa Family, release day September 24th. 📖❤️

I was so excited to get into Ms Sahin ARC team, and what a great way to start- Alessandro and Calliope!

Alessandro is one of 3 Costa´s brothers, he thinks about himself as broken, not capable to love again and there is no way he will ever find a partner, something his brother Enzo achieved.

But then Ms Sahin made him meet his next ,,job,, Calliope and everything changes, not that he is ready to admitt, but his inner- taddy bear personality makes him do crazy things and so ALessandro and Calliope have to team-up, to save her and many others.

This story is amazing, so many twists, you may think you know who to trust and who not, but with every page everything you knew change so fast, and this all is mixed with the best ever sexual tension between two characters I´ve ever read, I was sitting on the edge of my sofa and waitting when it finally happens, but as ussual there is no time to process because characters are put through so many moments and twist and then you find yourself at the end of the book and know you need another like right ahead.

So yes, it´s again 5⭐📖 and I absolutely recomment to you to read this book, you can´t be dissapointed!!!

Ms. Brittney delivered amazeball with this book, just the right amount of spiciness, delicious anticipation of their combustible chemistry. I always like spy, James Bond theme in a book and this book did not disappoint, I'm a nurse and Alessandro had me laughing because out of all his badassery character he gets bested when it comes to drug going thru his system, his kryptonite☠️, I was "kilig" (visayan dialect for giddy) when he purposely came to Callie's room to make sure they were ok and he did not make sense🥰😜😘.

I’m so happy to get back to the Costa Family and their world. “Not Mine to Keep” is an action packed, thrilling and steamy marriage of convenience romantic suspense that kept a hold on me throughout the whole story.

Callie grew up living with her aunt living the simple life. But little did she know, she’s the daughter of a Mafia kingpin. And he wants her to come to Italy, married with a male heir on the way to take over for the family business. Alessandro Costa is a playboy billionaire who is not going to let that happen. He is going to marry Callie himself that way he can settle a debt and take down the Mafia family. Both have promised no feelings for their brief marriage but there’s a connection between them they can’t deny.

I love the Costa family so much and I’m so glad that we have Alessandro’s story next. Alessandro is swoony, protective and has all the green flags. I love how protective he was of Callie from the beginning and it only intensified as the story went on. Callie is so relatable, she just wants a simple life and doesn’t want the Mafia life that she’s being forced into by her father. I loved Callie and Alessandro together. Their banter was great and the chemistry they had was coming off the pages. I was cheering when they finally gave into their feelings and when Alessandro got extra growly and said “my wife”. Brittney Sahin is the Queen of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages as the story unfolded. The ending was perfect and I can’t wait for the next book from the Costa family.

I love the Costa family! Alessandro and Calliope have an unconventional start to their relationship, but I really enjoyed going on their journey with them.