A slow burn mafia suspense romance with a marriage of convenience. And a hero who says “my wife” like his life depends on it. Wicked good tension and angst between the mafia princess and the damaged hero.

Alessandro Costa has an immediate spark with Nashville teacher/singer Calliope when he meets her. Expecting/hoping for a single night of passion, his usual playboy ways are thrown by the wayside when a special ops job suddenly puts her under his protection. Her quiet life in Nashville can no longer hide the fact that she’s the only daughter of a mafia crime boss in Italy. Her father is dying and wants Callie to marry someone of his choosing to give him an heir. His choice is someone Alessandro knows will be a danger to Calliope and so he proposes to marry her instead. What follows is a game of push and pull not only between Callie and her evil father, the Costa family and greater forces set on tearing them apart, but with Calliope and her new husband- with whom she has undeniable chemistry.

The Costa family is so fascinating. They give a dangerous but protective vibe and are all a touch mysterious. So far this series has continued with Sahin’s usual perfect combo of romantic suspense with a bit of political thriller, espionage, and intrigue. Throw in mafia arranged marriage in Not Mine to Keep, and I was hooked. I liked the back and forth of the couple and felt like Alessandro’s feelings for his wife were sweet and sexy all at once. I liked Callie’s fire and grit and how she couldn’t help but be drawn to the Costa family. While this series doesn’t have quite the same level of “save the world” vibes her other series do, the family connection between the Costas make me look forward to the next book already!

The wedding of the year!

Mafia-light, fake marriage, teacher/country singer heroine, protective hero, easy as a standalone, KU read and listen title.

The Costa family is back with more suspense and romance. Great chemistry and banter between Alessandro and Calliope/Callie (his little miss Tennessee Whiskey). Highly recommend.

Excellent narration! Allie Piper is a new narrator for me and she sounded exactly like I pictured Callie. Connor Crais as Alessandro - enough said.

Love these characters so much!!!! Just finished and my emotions are still running so high!!!

A heroine who just wants to make her own way without the dark shadow of the mafia….and a true alpha hero with a hidden soft side that will make the ultimate sacrifice for her, but can he overcome the fear in his heart in order to grab true happiness?

Truly one of a kind and a real masterpiece of writing!

A five star read that I definitely recommend!

I had the privilege of getting to read Not Mine to Keep as a first-time ARC and it the only thing that was disappointing was how real life kept interfering with me being able to read this in one sitting! The storyline does not disappoint and there's enough romance and action and just enough mystery to keep anyone coming back for more! If you've not read the first in this series, Let Me Love You?, what are you waiting for? I absolutely love how characters from other books/series make appearances in each book she writes, which helps not only unify them all, but always makes me want to go back and read each series again. No cliffhangers, but she sets up the next in the series so that you can't wait for her next release! 10/10 recommend!

Alessandro Costa is a Playboy billionaire and vigilante.
Calliope is a mafia bosses daughter..

Alessandro and Callie meet at a fundraiser Callie has out and mistrust because of who her is a Mafia Don).
father is (Armani DiMaggio.
Alessandro plan to marry her to protect.her.
Can Alessandro convince Armani DiMaggio to let he marry her.
There is a definite incident about to happen?
Can he keep her safe? Can they have a Happily Ever After?
This is a great book, Brittney Sahin never disappoints!

This book has lot of action, suspense, danger and intrigue.

Great Job Brittney Sahin !!!!!!

The book is very easy to read and even though It has characters from previous books and even a totally different series as well, you can still understand how the story unfolds and follow along smoothly.You can also get more insight into the Costa Family and the underlying events that have molded their current family dynamics. It’s interesting how on every book of the series we get more and more pieces of the big puzzle, can’t wait to read the next book. Totally Loved Alessandro’s character and looking forward to Constantine’s book!

Rating: 5⭐
Spice: 1.5🌶️

Wow wow wow! This is Book 2 in the series but ultimately my first read from Brittney. Where have I seriously been?! This definitely won't be my last! With my heart literally in my mouth half the time, Brittney absolutely packs a punch in her writing. Filled with love, revenge, suspense and action, I was reeled in from the very first page!

Alessandro owes a debt to his ex-best friend, Gabriel, who has come to collect. A threat has surfaced within the DiMaggio mafioso, in which Alessandro has been tasked to protect the mafia don's daughter, Calliope, from being exterminated. With Calliope's father pressuring her to produce an heir, Alessandro learns she is about to be forced into marriage within the next few days - the groom is none other than someone he wants revenge on. To smoke them out, he decides to marry Calliope with the simple job of protecting her... Until it starts to feel like maybe it's Alessandro that needs saving after all....

I adored both Callie and Alessandro's in this story, their character growth and in particular the slow burn and build up of their relationship. The tension... 👏🏻 the chemistry...👏🏻 the constant 'will they, won't they....?'🥺 Ahhhh! I was DOWN for these moments!
Alessandro has been deeply hurt in the past and vows to never fall in love again. His perception of himself is damaged - someone unworthy of love and to be loved, due to his anti-hero/vigilante ways.
Callie is a loyal and strong FMC, who manages to catch glimpses of a side Alessandro tries to hide from her. Despite being vulnerable together in terms of feelings, Callie is undoubtedly the light to Alessandro's dark and together they were just perfect 🤌🏻 Their love for each other was undeniable and I'm so happy they got their swoony HEA 💖

Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a military romance with a side dash of suspense. I seriously can't wait for Hudson and Izzy's story next!

Thank you to Brittney and Netgalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

Not Mine To Keep is Book 3 in the Costa Family Series.
This is such a great book! Brittney Sahin has done it again! Keeping you on the edge of your seat with the angst, drama, action, suspense and spicy romance.
I could NOT put this book down! I loved it!

**I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

Back in the world of Brittney Sahin and she never ceases to disappoint. I’m still dipping my toes into the world of mafia romance, but with this book, it wasn’t too over the top or over done. At no point did I feel like there’s a rush with the story at any time. Another thing I have come to really love about Brittney’s stories is that you really never know at the beginning of the story where it will take me, and where I will end up. But I will say, it’s always a wild ride going through the journey to end in an happily ever after mixed up in suspense, spice, friendship, romance, and a great deal of found family, all wrapped up in a captivating storyline.

A very prominent theme in the book is light vs. dark. While Alessandro firmly believes he is on the dark end of the spectrum, Callie is able to show him that he‘s not. And as his brother Enzo put it: she‘s bringing him back to life. And she did that very thing.


Brief Summary:
A playboy billionaire and a mafioso’s daughter ignite dangerous passions, vengeance, and betrayal in a sizzling novel of suspense by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brittney Sahin.
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 wicked reach, or his plans for her arranged marriage to carry on the family name.
Playboy Alessandro Costa has a different plan: marry her himself—temporarily. 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—and the danger. Because now they are living in the shadow of violent men who’ll do whatever it takes to destroy them. With their love and their lives on the line, Calliope and Alessandro are ready to fight fire with fire.


🖤Repressed attraction
🖤Mafia
🖤Suspense
🖤Age gap (10 years)
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Vile villains
🖤Flawed hero
🖤Family angst
🖤Plenty of action
🖤A soupçon of humor
🖤And of course a HEA.

Bonus: If you‘re a fan of the "my wife" trope, this one‘s for you!

Not Mine to Keep is a Mafia style romance which I am not a huge fan of due to the more forcefully romance style. The author Brittney Sahin is able to keep the story light and moving quickly with two very likeable characters. The female lead is full of sass and the male lead is dark brooding with a heart of gold. The secondary characters are family who protect family at any cost giving readers a softer side to Mafia style romance.
Yes, the book is full of steamy sexy scenes that will curl your toes. Once the main leads are together pages of sexy time follows.

The author throws in a little nugget that connects readers to pervious series. keep a look out for the name.

While this story wasn't to my liking the author did wonderful job keeping readers connect to so many different characters, what they were doing and why they were in each scene.
The story is written from the female and male leads point of views and at times she kind of goes over the same scene that works for this style of storytelling.
The editing and writing were what you expect from this story. From the amount of characters the author put in this series readers can expect more to come Brittney Sahin.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Not Mine To Keep.

4.5 Stars

I've been reading Brittney Sahin for a few years now, and she is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. You are guaranteed an interesting story with complex characters you can't help but root for and undeniable chemistry. While her books all exist in the same world, and you are bound to see characters from her other work, this book truly stands on its own. Yes, there were still easter eggs to her other books, but that's exactly what they are: easter eggs. This book can easily be read on its own without knowing anything else about the world she has created, which I love.

If you like morally grey heroes, marriage of convenience, and romantic suspense, then this is the book for you. This book has all the hallmarks of a Brittney Sahin book, and I was here for it. Alessandro had me interested from the very start of this book, and Calliope was his perfect match. I loved the chemistry between them and watching them fight it (until they couldn't). I loved how in denial Alessandro was about his feelings, and I loved the sass from Calliope. This was such an enjoyable read, and I am already very eager to read the next book in the series. The little hints we got in this one have me on the edge of my seat waiting for it.

✔️ Billionaire Ex-Military Hero
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Marriage of Convenience
✔️ Age Gap (10 Years)
✔️ Reformed Playboy
✔️ Italian Mafioso
✔️ Morally Grey Hero
✔️ Romantic Suspense
✔️ First Person Dual POV

Of course she doesn’t again. There’s not a down moment with this book, meaning, how can I put it down? I ate this book up in a day. I had been waiting for Alessandro’s book since forever, and it didn’t disappoint! Marriage of convenience, mafia, the league….. it was phenomenal, Brittney will forever be one of my favorite writers. The chemistry between Alessandro and Callie were perfection, their banter made me laugh at time and also hurt for them. The Costa’s are a beautiful family that supports each other no matter what, and I love that. Callie was a strong woman that was willing to sacrifice her happiness to keep the people she loved safe, and Alessandro did exactly the same. What neither of them expected, is that there were going to be feelings, and the development of those feeling were great. Seeing the playboy falling for Callie was epic. This is a must read, and it you have read her books, you will enjoy how she connects others stories. However, this can be read as a standalone. Absolutely a must read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Fantastic read, a slow burn to perfection.... I couldn't read this book fast enough, then I hated it was over. Calliope is a freaking ray of sunshine, polar opposite of Alessandro... But the chemistry is off the charts. I'll always think of this book when I hear Chris Stapleton I think I'm in love with you! 🔥

Oh my gosh!! I read this in a day! Brittney, this book is, wow!

Tropes:
 Mafia
 Age gap
 Forced proximity
 Flawed hero
 Former military

Alessandro knew he had to find a way to protect the mafia princess but could he really go through with it? Alessandro meets Callie at an auction, having no idea who she was until he got a call from the man he was supposed to be meeting. Knowing someone a favor in his line of work is never good but how can he not repay a debt. Can he marry someone, or course but not for love, love is something he will never give into again.

Callie could not believe what her father is requiring her to do, she has to marry and provide him a heir even though she has no intentions of doing so but her hand is being forced.

Alessandro finds himself offering himself as her husband to not only protect her but to get the ultimate revenge for his family. Marry her and get her somewhere safe and then seek vengeance for his family. They can marry and convince her father and his body guards that they are a couple, can’t they? They keep their distance but the chemistry between Callie and Alessandro is off the charts and Alessandro fought the pull as much as he could but now, no more.

Another incredible book by Brittney Sahin!

Going into this book, I didn't know how it would go with Alessandro. I absolutely LOVE Enzo, and am really looking forward to Constantine's story, and had neutral feelings about Alessandro. Boy did he surprise me. He was so much more than I ever thought he could be, and gave Enzo a run for his money when it comes to favorite Costa brother. I love how sassy and sarcastic Caliope is with him, and how he is with her. This book is so good, the Costa family is definitely one of my favorites!

These Costa boys just get better and better! I was completely hooked as playboy Alessandro finally met his match in Callie. Watching him fall hard and fast was an absolute delight. The chemistry between them was electric, and the pacing kept me on my toes from start to finish.

What really stood out, though, was Izzy's journey. Seeing her come into her own was so satisfying, and the setup for her story has me eagerly anticipating what’s next. The blend of romance, tension, and character development made this a must-read. If you're looking for a book that will keep you captivated from the first page to the last, this is it. Highly recommended!

While Not Mine to Keep could be read as a stand alone, I love the way that Brittney Sahin has created a world of interconnected characters throughout her series. Being familiar with the characters from her previous books added to the experience as I was reading this one, though it wasn't necessary to have read any others to enjoy this one.

"Not Mine to Keep" was even better than book one (Let Me Love You). so I'm especially looking forward to book three (The Art of You). Since the Stealth Ops series books started great and got even more amazing, I'm interested to see where this series goes from here.

I received a copy of the book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

This is Book two in the Costa Family series and is Alessandro and Calliope’s (Callie) story. I have always enjoyed the author’s style of writing and this book is no exception. It is chockfull of action, a dabbling into the Mafia world and two characters that can’t deny the strong attraction they feel toward each other.

There are plenty of characters from other books and they are introduced in a way that doesn’t make reader feel as if they are a distraction from the story.

Highly recommend!

5 ⭐
3 🌶️

Oh, so much has gone on in these Costa kids' family. We learned a lot about them in Enzo's book, but I was not prepared for the perpetual playboy's story in Alessandro. He was so anti-anything romance in Enzo's book. But this was an adventure from page one when Alessandro meets Calliope. Their story is both exciting and passionate as they navigate their marriage of convenience in mafia-heavy Sicily. To make the adventure even better, bring in the members of the McGregor family from the Dublin Nights series. Add in mentions of the people from Falcon Falls, and well, this book could not get any better. Brittney Sahin continues to write quality adventure and romance novels with well-thought-out plots, great fight scenes, and heroes that make you swoon.

Thank you, NetGalley, Brittney Sahin, and Montlake for the eArc. These opinions are mine.