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.*

This was not for me unfortunately. The storyline dragged a bit and I felt that a lot of the dialogue was quite choppy and didn’t feel natural
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley!

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.

******

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.

The Costa’s are always so intriguing! These characters live rent free in my mind. 5 ⭐️ and a 🌶️ 🌶️ spicy. Not to mention I just love anything Brittney Sahin puts out! She sucks you into the adventure within the story.

Calliope is a unknown daughter of the DiMaggio’s mafia family. Her father, the head of the mafia, has decided that she needs to learn to take over the family business and right now. Alessandro Costa is tasked with marrying her so the DiMaggio crime organization can be handed off to an old family friend, once Calliope’s father is out of the picture. Alessandro, the ultimate playboy, is struggling to grasp this Calliope could actually be the one. As if he’d ever settle down… and Calliope only wants true love. Are they able to pull off this arranged marriage to finish the task without falling in love?

This book has it all..romance, suspense, alpha male protecting the woman they love with everything that is in them. Brittney Sahin does it again. Draws you into the characters and their lives. She never disappoints . If you never have read one of her books please do so. I wish I could give this more than 5 stars.

Brittney Sahin can do no wrong. She did it again!

The relationship between Alessandro and Calliope had me pulling for them from the very beginning. The banter between the two was the best. I loved how she was pushing his buttons and he tried so hard to deny it. Brittney's characters and stories are so well thought out that I am never lacking for anything!

The book was the right balance of sexy and action with all of my favorite tropes. I did not want to put it down. I can not wait for the next books in the series!!

Not Mine to Keep, written by Brittney Sahin, is the second title in the Costa Family series.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Alessandro (MMC) & Calliope “Callie” (FMC)

This isn’t my first book by this author, I enjoy reading her military themed books and the variety of stories she comes up with!

This book is the story of playboy billionaire Alessandro and teacher/aspiring country singer Callie. Alessandro has a mission of saving Callie from her evil father, either by helping her disappear or marrying her himself so that her father can’t marry her off to another evil man.

Overall the book was written well and the characters connected well. Callie, during several scenes at the beginning of the story seemed VERY naive, but she eventually grew on me.

“I thought you weren’t mine to keep, but here you are becoming all I want.”

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

I really enjoyed Alessandro and Calliope. Marriage of convenience is a fun trope, and this was an interesting setup. I appreciated the initial sparks and then getting to follow along on their journey to love. There was perhaps a little less action here than in some of this author's other works, but it was still interesting and contained plenty of intrigue and suspense. I did find that the extended conversations over text weren't my favorite and really pulled me out of the story. At times, it almost felt like a way to increase words without actually saying much of interest. I found this distracting and disappointing but it may be more of a personal preference. Overall, this was a good read.

I think the plot is interesting, but the writing left a lot to be desired. It pulls you out of the plot a lot because it wasn’t the best written. There was a struggle with the adjectives, grammar, and overall flow of the novel.

Where do I even start? Marriage of convenience with a mafia/assassin twist will always have a place in my heart. Callie and Alessandro have a chance encounter as charity auction event. Callie performs a few covers, including that of Chris Stapleton (who Alessandro doesn’t known of) and he becomes instantly smitten with her. Only to soon learn this the reason he was sent to the event was to meet this elementary level history teacher….because she was the illegitimate and ONLY heir to the largest and older mafia family. If Alessandro can’t convince Callie to flee her life, he has to convince her to marry him (temporarily of course…) so she isn’t kidnapped by her estranged birth father and forced to marry an even worse monster to produce a viable male heir.
There is a healthy amount of banter and bickering and sass from both main characters to really give you an idea on their personalities and how the bring out the best and worst in each other. Throw in some espionage, explosions, kidnapping, coercion and LOTS of steamy sex and you have the perfect light grey romance read.
I’ve never read anything by Brittany Sahin before but not I need to read the next story about Izzy and Hudson!

Thank you #Netgalley and publishers for this arc