Member Reviews
Alessandro Costa is not looking for a match, rather, he prefers his women gorgeous and uninterested in more than one night. Calliope, the beautiful singer of the evening, suits his fancy just perfectly, there's something about her, especially when he finds out she's more than just a one night girl, she's his next job. Calliope has never been part of her mafiosa family, but as the last living heir, her father is prepared to call for an arrange marriage to save the dynasty. A temporary marriage should do the trick, but the chemistry between Alessandro and Calliope is undeniable, even if they try to lie to themselves and one another about what is between them. As the stakes grow higher and the danger amps up, the two must confront their real feelings.
She did it again. Did anyone doubt her? Certainly not me. I love all of Brittney Sahin's work, but The Costa Family series might be taking the top spot. I love the family dynamic at play, the world of good and evil, the authentic show of wealth and privelage, and of course, the chemistry and love that just leap from the pages as you read. These stories come to life and the Costa family is one family that I cannot wait to keep reading about. Their story is sad, dark, and yet filled with hope, especially as each finds the saving grace of love, both for themselves and in another. The Costa family, and a host of other characters, are thrust into a revenge plot that is so layered that you almost need a map to understand how they tie together. Like Sahin's other works, Not Mine to Keep has all the suspense and action you're looking for, with a deeply romantic storyline that pulled me in from the start.
I adored both Calliope and Alessandro in this installment to the series. Alessandro has a story we are not privy to early on, we only know of the loss of his sister and his committment to his other siblings. He is, undoubtedly, reserved and closed off. He's a playboy, something he both owns and Calliope recognizes immediately. Calliope is sweet, a small town girl, a schoolteacher, and a singer with a dream. She knows the truth of her life, but believes she can be spared it. Their connection is instant, it's beautiful, it's marred by the reality of what they both must do, but through out the book you can feel how that first, instant connection still sizzles. Both have excellent POVs and I loved how Sahin wrote this one, especially with the feeling of country mouse city mouse at play. Calliope isn't used to the life, Alessandro wants to protect her from it, but she's stronger than he realizes. They're truly a perfect pairing and I loved their action-packed journey to discovering it.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a reviw.
Love at first sight between a billionaire and an English teacher, daughter of a mafioso!!
When a billionaire gets married to the mafioso´s daughter is going to be only for one year and to save her life.
I love this novel as there are a lot of topics I always looking for in a novel.
Good romance, a bit sassy, suspense, vengeance, fighting and always the tension between the two main characters.
I also enjoyed the many side characters that make me want to read the rest of the other stories in the series.
This is the first book I read by this author and I will looking forward to reading the 1st and 3rd ones in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first Brittney Sahin experience. But the adventure was not without a few problems. The hero, Alessandro, was an asshat of the first order for the first half of the book and the heroine, Calliope, lets him get away with it. They circle each other for way longer that was necessary and then when they finally get together the transition was enough to give you whiplash, it happened so fast. I most enjoyed the suspense and intrigue woven with the "I want you, but I can't have you" romance.
A year ago, Calliope Anderson was just a high school teacher with dreams of a music career in Nashville. Then her estranged mother died, and her sperm donor turns out to be an old school Sicilian mafia don, Armani DiMaggio. It turns out that Callie is the last living DiMaggio and sperm donor wants to insure the line continues and that means Callie must reproduce, and that means with a husband of DiMaggio's choosing, none of which Callie wants any part of.
In steps our hero, Alessandro Costa, who is a dedicated billionaire playboy with no plans to marry, ever. He owes his and his brother's lives to Gabriel, a member of the DiMaggio cabal. Gabriel has his own plans for the succession and exerts pressure on Alessandro to get with his program and marry Callie to protect her until the old man kicks the bucket. This plan also gives Alessandro a shot at revenge he and his brother have been seeking against another crime family for four years.
Well, best laid plans and all that lead to a much more complicated situation and some real hot bedroom scenes before Calliope and Alessandro get real with each other. With Calliope's life on the line Alessandro shows his true strength of character and does everything he can to protect her, and she does the same for him.
My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
Its a mafia marriage of convenience book. Well done for its category! but if comes with the territory that it can be a little cringe, toxic, and trope-y at times. Still I had a lot of fun with it - it was pure entertainment!
So this is a forced marriage between Callie and Alessandro and it worked perfectly to be honest, the story was definitely involving and steamy and the characters were so amazing, I don't have much to say except this was my first book from the author and I simply loved it
How does Brittney Sahin keep doing it? Not Mine to Keep is yet another perfect example of why she’s one of my favorite authors. This book isn't just another romantic suspense—it's a deeply emotional ride that blends passion, danger, and the kind of character chemistry that keeps you turning the pages long past bedtime.
Alessandro Costa, the playboy billionaire, and Calliope Anderson, the mafia princess who’s anything but ordinary, have this undeniable connection from the moment they meet. And while it starts as a marriage of convenience (with Alessandro playing the hero), it quickly becomes so much more. You can feel the tension between them building as their “business arrangement” starts to blur with real emotions—those fiery sparks practically leap off the page!
What I love most about this book is how real Alessandro and Calliope feel. Yes, we’ve got the drama, the mafia intrigue, and the steamy moments (seriously, chapter 28!), but beneath it all, they’re just two people trying to figure out life and love in the middle of chaos. Calliope’s strength in the face of her family's dark legacy and Alessandro’s struggle to see himself as more than just a shadow are so relatable, even in their extraordinary circumstances.
Sahin’s talent for weaving suspense into a love story is unmatched. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, she throws in a twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. And don't even get me started on the brilliant light vs. dark theme that runs through the book—it’s powerful, and by the end, you can’t help but root for Alessandro to find his way into the light with Calliope by his side.
If you're a fan of romance with a side of mafia drama and a whole lot of heart, Not Mine to Keep is the perfect addition to your bookshelf. Trust me, once you dive in, you’ll be hooked—and you might just find yourself binge-reading the rest of the series, too!
Always a fun ride when Brittney Sahin write a romantic suspense book.
This one kept me on my toes. With some instant chemistry from Alessandro and Calliope. While the father she has stayed very clear of is dying tries to marry her off to one of his underlings she would rather the devil she knows Alessandro.
While it may be a marriage of convenience their attraction is all real. The revenge Alessandro wanted for his family kept tension high, and so many motives to want to take over the mafia throne kept the action going.
Another great win and loved seeing more of the Costa family interactions.
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 page turner.
Broody Alessandro meets Mafia Princess! Can he keep her safe while guarding his heart? Their relationship is definitely built to last.
The building of characters throughout this book was incredible and certainly leaves you wanting more from others. I can not wait to see Izzy and Hudson finally cross the friendship line.
Not Mine to Keep by Brittney Sahin is a marriage of convenience mafia romance. It’s a fun read full of action, romance, and intrigue!
Calliope, also known as Callie, is our FMC. She is a slightly sassy and independent history teacher and part time singer. Our MMC, Alessandro, is a playboy billionaire, with an interesting side gig of his own. He’s quite protective and a little bit possessive of Calliope. What starts out as a marriage of convenience, leads to a real romance, with undeniable chemistry. Their flirty texts and banter were such a great addition to the story. I also loved the strong bond between Alessandro and his family, and how they pretty much adopt Calliope as one of their own.
This book has action, romance, and some twists and turns, what more can you ask for. Definitely worth a read!
1st time reading this author but it certainly won’t be the last! I am going to have to go back now and read the others just because it was so good! Had the right amount of suspense, hot romance and danger that will keep you on the edge of your sear. So get it and read about Alessandro ad Calliope. And the rest of the family!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review
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!
i tried so hard not to cringe at most of the scenes in the book.
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake Publishing, for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#NotMinetoKeepTheCostaFamily #NetGalley
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I love the storyline, characters, and the twists and turns that make it so I didn't want to put the book down! This series is truly amazing and I can't wait to read the next book!! I listened to the audiobook also and the narrators did a phenomenal job.
This is a book that has a possessive man who while trying to take down somebody and also protect somebody at the same time find himself falling for a mafia princess. You can see the chemistry between the characters from the very beginning and their story has romance, but there’s suspense and thrilled at the same time. This is a good book
What do you get when you mix an up and coming country darling and a bad boy vigilante with ex-ties to the Italian mafia? One smoking hot, edge of your seat adventure that will leave you turning page after page because you just can’t put it down. Alessandro and Calliope are absolutely made for each other. But the trials they must go through to prove that, mostly to her father, are enough to break any couple. Brittney Sahin just keeps better with each subsequent book. And the fact that they all interconnect will keep readers immersed in this world for weeks and months to come. Definitely counting down the time until the next release and this one just barely released!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Calliope and Alessandro....what can I say?? Mafia romance, steamy, some mystery/violence. She's the secret daughter of a mafia boss who wants nothing to do with him, He's going to marry her to save her from that life but doesn't want to fall for her.
I absolutely loved this one and need to check out more from this author! Check it out if you like a romance with so much more.
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱
✰ 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
This book was such a delightful surprise! Mostly because it's my first read by Sahin and I adored it from the start.
It's a fast paced and action packed mafia romance! I loved the setup and found it very original in this genre.
I also liked the idea of pairing a mafia boss secret daughter with a billionaire vigilante type of mmc. It was very cool.
The romance itself was amazing! I loved the chemistry and their tension and I just couldn't wait for them to actually get together.
I highly recommend and am patiently waiting for Isabella and Hudson's book now!
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
✰ 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘱
✰ 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
This book was such a delightful surprise! Mostly because it's my first read by Sahin and I adored it from the start.
It's a fast paced and action packed mafia romance! I loved the setup and found it very original in this genre.
I also liked the idea of pairing a mafia boss secret daughter with a billionaire vigilante type of mmc. It was very cool.
The romance itself was amazing! I loved the chemistry and their tension and I just couldn't wait for them to actually get together.
I highly recommend and am patiently waiting for Isabella and Hudson's book now!
If you are new to Sahin, the beauty of her stories is you can pick up any book in any series and not feel lost, this book included. She gives just enough background on characters from previous books. If you have read a Brittney Sahin book before, this book delivers in true Sahin fashion! There is broodiness, stubbornness, and plot twists you don't see coming.