Author: Gabrielle Sands

Series: House of Ferraro  

First Published: 30 July 2026

“I’m done letting their story define ours.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Gabrielle for sending a copy my way!

Also, while Marry Me Not follows a new couple this is a sequel; I will try and keep my review as spoiler free as possible but just be wary if you haven’t read the Be With Me.

She was his unwanted fiancée. Now she’s the wife he craves but can never possess.
I always knew I’d return to New York one day—step back into my family’s world, marry a man my brother chose, and carry out my duty. I just never imagined that man wouldn’t want a wife—least of all me.

Cosimo Ferraro is cold. Controlled. Untouchable. A ruthless mafia prince who doesn’t believe in letting anyone inside his impenetrable walls.

His words are cruel, his dismissals cutting. Yet every time we’re in the same room, his gaze finds me… and refuses to let go.

The pull between us is impossible to ignore. But Cosimo fights it—and me—with everything he’s got. He wants me to end the engagement. And I almost do.

That’s when his world fractures. His father is murdered. Suddenly the man who wanted nothing to do with me needs me to help him seize the throne he was born to take.

Six months, he promises. Six months of marriage before he’ll set me free.

But six months is long enough for everything to burn—his control, my defenses, and the line between what’s real and what was supposed to be pretend.

I have been dying to get my hands on thissince reading the last line of Be With Me. I know I say this with every Gabrielle Sands release, but I think Marry Me Not might be my favourite book of hers. 

Fabi Massero has been called back to New York. Back to her family’s world to carry out her duty to marry a rival underboss and cement an alliance for her brother. Even though she always knew she would have to come home to marry, she never expected that her husband-to-be would be the reluctant one. Cosimo is the underboss to the Ferraros. He’s cold, controlled and ruthless. Cosimo sees Fabi as nothing but a liability. His cruel words tugged at her insecurities and almost made Fabi call off the engagement, the alliance be damned. But when his world fractures and his family falters. Coismo realises he needs Fabi and the alliance their marriage brings. But he’s all but ruined Fabi’s goodwill. So, he does what he does best: strikes a deal. If Fabi stays married to him for six months, enough time to stabilise the Ferraros, she is free to go. But can they both play pretend while keeping feelings out of it?

I adored Fabi when we first met in the previous book. Fabi is a good mafia daughter. She’s always known that her worth to the family is based on who she can marry, and she has made peace with that. All she wants out of her marriage is for Cosimo to treat her with respect. She’s an absolute sweetheart. I love that she’s while she’s trusting Fabi is not a doormat and will hold her own in a fight—looking at you, sauna scene. Watching her get the HEA she deserved had me cheering. 

I am not going to lie; I was fully prepared to hate Cosimo. The way he could zero in on Fabi’s insecurities and manipulate her into calling off the engagement made me want to riot. But I should know to trust the process. Cosimo is this cold, ruthless ice prince. His need to control and flat-out eliminate any perceived weakness comes from some serious mummy issues. I thought the way Rom was treated was messed up, but boy does their mother, Vita, know no bounds. I love how he does these sweet things Fab under the guise of keeping up appearances for the family. Like, sir, you may fool Fabi, but you can’t fool me. Those moments had me squealing every time. 

The marriage of convenience trope can go either way for me, but this one is perfect. Fabi and Cosimo are keeping the other at arm’s length to protect themselves from heartbreak when the time on their deal runs out.  The way they toyed with the line between playing pretend was eclectic. It took me a while to get into their dynamic, but once the forced proximity came to the party, I was locked in. Once they get out of their heads, they really are perfect for each other. I adored how Fabi shows Cosimo that trusting won’t always end in disaster. The way Cosimo would burn the world down for Fabi left me panting. 

I adored being back in this world! I am an absolute sucker for Gabrielle’s brand of Mafia romance. It is totally my vibe. She always balances the decadence and danger of the Mafia. The story takes place right before the pivotal plot point in Be With Me; if you know, you know. The Ferraros are in a rocky position, and Cosimo needs to restore order as quickly as possible. We got an interesting look inside the dynamics of the Ferraro family. I loved getting to see how faceted their empire is. The ending, I wasn’t expecting the twist, but I loved it. I knew Vita was shady, but wow. Also, I loved how Cosimo presented the information to the capos to cement his place. 

I could ramble about Marry Me Not forever. It’s safe to say this has launched its way onto my top books of 2026 list. If you love mafia romance and you haven’t picked up any of Gabrielle Sands’ books, I’m begging you, please pick them up! They are the perfect mix of dark mafia plots and swoony slow-burn romances with deliciously steamy scenes.