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The Salinger Brothers #4

Strictly Not Yours

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I thought I knew everything about my rich, neat-freak doctor of a boss. Until I walked into a fight club and our eyes clashed across the ring…

Holden Salinger is a pediatric oncologist and for the last two years I’ve been cleaning his swanky New York apartment.

I know every intimate detail about him, from his overly large shoe size to his toothpaste tube rolling obsession.

But he doesn’t even know I exist. The man couldn’t pick me out in a police lineup.

Until I get a second job working at a local bar, only to discover there’s a secret back room. One with a boxing ring right in the center. And when I see him vault into it, muscles rippling, I realize he’s not the man I thought he was.

From the moment our gazes clash, the chemistry between us is sizzling. And when he becomes my unexpected savior, my heart takes a tumble I’m not expecting.

Falling for him is such a bad idea. If he finds out who I really am, he’d never want to touch me.

So let’s not tell him, okay?

Cinderella meets Fight Club in this gripping new romance from Carrie Elks. Find out why readers are falling for the Salinger Brothers today…

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2024

1508 people are currently reading
4263 people want to read

About the author

Carrie Elks

73 books2,256 followers
Carrie Elks is an international bestselling author of traditionally-published and self-published novels. Her books are sweet yet sexy contemporary small town romance stories. You can find her in all these places:


Website:https://www.carrieelks.com
Amazon: http://author.to/CarrieElksAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieElksAu...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carri...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrie.elks/

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5 stars
2,271 (34%)
4 stars
2,625 (39%)
3 stars
1,469 (22%)
2 stars
233 (3%)
1 star
48 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
Profile Image for Margaret.
39 reviews8 followers
July 6, 2024
This man did NOT grovel enough
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews807 followers
February 3, 2024
Spicy fun

Bingeable and spicy, with a storyline that's one-of-a-kind, I had no trouble flying through the pages. I've enjoyed every installment of this series, each of which has been lighthearted, spicy fun, and this was no exception. I loved that the premise was so unique, which added a devourable quality to the story. The romance is definitely lust-focused and evolves quickly, but the freshness of the story kept me hooked. There's plenty of heat and lots of chemistry, paired with interesting, multi-faceted characters who make each other stronger. There were a few things that I would've liked to have seen play out differently, but no major roadblocks to my enjoyment. A very solid 4-star read for me.

The story follows Blair (34), a woman who is working her way through college after serving in the Army. She's been cleaning a wealthy doctor's apartment for the last two years, and though she's never met the man, Blair has some ideas of what the workaholic might be like. So when she meets him for the first time - at a fight club, no less - the last thing Blair expects is to feel a connection. Holden's (40s) job as a pediatric oncologist is extremely stressful and often depressing, so he fights in a controlled environment as an outlet for his emotions. He'd never subject a woman to his grumpy moods or workaholic tendencies for the long run, but something about Blair has him drawn in from the moment they meet. As the two give in to the attraction that runs between them, it soon becomes impossible to keep feelings out of the equation.

I really liked the fact that Blair and Holden have never met, yet she has so much insight into what he's like. She's literally been digging through his cupboards and is fully aware of his routine, which added an interesting element to the story. There's obviously a level of tension that comes with that as well, since Holden doesn't know that she's been in his space for years. The evolution of their relationship is sort of a fling to more situation, as neither one is in the right headspace for something lasting. The spice is plentiful and sexier than the cover would imply, though the overall vibes are simply light and easy. It's easy to read as a standalone, though I've been enjoying reading the series in order, and Holden's brothers do make several appearances. I would've liked a more subtle shift from "it's just a fling" to "it's love," but the emotional connection was developing along with the physical one, in its own way. All in all, I had no trouble bingeing it, and am excited for the next installment of the series.
21 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2024
80% and it all falls apart

*Spoilers*
Really liked this book: Small grammatical errors and lots of great story with a few inconsistencies but not enough to break the bank.

That is until Holden finds out she “lied.” Insert eye roll. She is supposed to be this tough girl, but she’s got multiple instances where he has said he is not serious about her so when he finds out she didn’t tell him she cleans his apartment (which btw is the dumbest thing - why does it matter?) she tells him she loves him and that she’s never let anyone else “in” (insert second eye roll) because that’s what you say to someone who less than 24 hours ago called you nothing more than a friend to his brother. She tells him that she’s so sorry and she didn’t mean to hurt him -what? And what does the buttwipe do? “Throws it in her face” I quote this phrase because the author uses it verbatim at least 5 times. Since the only story left after this cluster dump is how all the side characters tell the guy what a joke he is. If you know the situation you’ve contrived is a joke, then why make your main male character to be so lame.. anyways!

I really liked the premise of this story which is probably what fuels my anger. If only the climax and the resolve were less juvenile, this would have been a good book. But now I feel as though I just wasted my time.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
2 reviews110 followers
January 16, 2025
Holden and Blair are lovely together but if someone said to me what Holden had said to her I don’t know how I would just move past it. The ending felt a little rushed, almost like they wanted to skip straight to the HEA. I’m hoping the other books are better but it’s still a good read.
Profile Image for Maureen.
1,343 reviews50 followers
February 1, 2024
From the moment I started reading ‘Strictly Not Yours’ I was hooked. This book is written through both Holden and Blair’s point of view and I loved it. Holden and Blair come from two totally different worlds. But there is this instant connection between them, and both can’t seem to stay away from each other. Even though they really try!

Holden is a hardworking oncologist, who spends most of his time in the hospital. Although he is close with his brothers, he rarely takes the time to spend time with them. The one thing he does for himself, to take his mind of all those kids he can’t safe, is boxing. But it’s something he doesn’t want anyone to know. His time is spend alone, but when he sees Blair he can’t take his eyes of her. Blair doesn’t take crap from anyone, and she is very hardworking. She makes him smile, and for the first time he doesn’t seem to get the urge to go boxing. But unfortunately Blair seems to want the fairytale, and he isn’t someone who can give it to her.

My favorite character was Blair. She is the most unselfish person out there. She joined the army when she came out of High school to help her sister go to college. Now, years later, she is going to college herself, while working two jobs to make sure her sister and nephew have a good life. I admired her so much. And although I wished she wasn’t so afraid to let Holden in, I honestly was just in awe of her.

The romance and chemistry between Holden and Blair was amazing. And their interactions made me smile more than once. We also get to see the other Salinger brothers again for a bit, and I loved that. I’m so excited to read the story of the last Salinger brother next.

‘Strictly Not Yours’ was a great read. I adored every minute spend in this book. And Cinderella meets Fight Club definitely sounds about right. If you’re a fan of romance, this book is for you!
15 reviews2 followers
February 13, 2024
This book is... okay. The spicy scenes are engaging and the characters have some growth, despite being frustrating in the end with the somewhat overwrought 3rd act break up. I'm mostly writing this review to highlight a giant plot hole in this book that I feel like no one else has mentioned in the reviews I've read. Why didn't Holden wonder more about how Blair got into his apartment when he was sick? He did ask how she was there once and she answered that she was there to clean and that's it? I was so confused that he didn't ask again once he was lucid that it ruined the rest of the book for me.

I recognize that the author decided very early on that Holden doesn't like liars and Blair is going to lie by omission to create a reason for a 3rd act break up, but why did it even get to that point? How would she have gotten into his apartment at that point if she wasn't his cleaning lady? I felt insane while reading the rest of the book because it was a weird thing for someone who is allegedly as protective of his privacy as Holden to not say "Hey, why are you inside my house? Did you break in?" I'm legitimately curious if I missed the explanation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nina.
607 reviews56 followers
February 1, 2024
DNF at page 147. Boring story and slow. Dull, cardboard characters without development and no chemistry. Could care less about what happened to the main characters. Throwing this one in my DNF pile.
Profile Image for Elle Reads a Book a Day.
758 reviews4 followers
May 19, 2024
Listen this wasn’t terrible. The writing from a technical standpoint was actually pretty good. But I am sick to death of books that can’t get basic characterization and plot down. Show don’t tell folks, it’s not that hard.

There was so much random stuff we were told about these two characters that literally never came into play. I felt like there was a huge hint about the FMC’s time in the Army and the reason she didn’t like violence (which she said, just like that, no less than 6 times in the first quarter of the book only to never really be mentioned or explained again) that never panned out. Then the big breaking point was lying? When the MMC barely even has any hang up’s about it besides a former finance that wasn’t even mentioned until like the 60% mark? Just poor, poor storytelling all around.
Profile Image for ChasxSabri&#x1f497;&#x1fae7;.
333 reviews16 followers
April 14, 2024
Boring. I AM BOOOORRRREEEEED.
It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t great either. Not feeling the romance, kinda felt flat to me.
DNF @45%
Second book I’ve given up on within 24 hours. Idk if there’s something in the air, or if there’s something wrong with ME.
Overall 2.75 ⭐️’s
Profile Image for Heidi.
45 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2024
My favorite book of the series! Such a cute romance that I could not put down. I loved all the characters and the Salinger brother cameos 😍
Profile Image for alexandra.
497 reviews46 followers
May 8, 2024
3,5 estrellitas realmente.
Ok, so, él es su jefe, médico, y ella limpia su casa. No se han visto nunca porque los horarios no coinciden.
Ella encuentra en su casa una tarjeta de un club y va.
En dicho club había peleas ilegales, I guess.
¿Adivináis quién peleaba allí? ¿Y quién empieza a trabajar allí? ¿Y quiénes se lían sin que él sepa que ella es su trabajadora?
Exacto.
Es un libro cute aunque él me exasperaba al final. No la merecía. No era un secreto tan grande para armar tal follón, la verdad. Encima que le diga que quería su dinero. Quién te pidió dinero alguna vez ridículo idiota. Dios mío, qué suplicio el third act break up.
Se va que hay un libro para cada hermano, no sé si me apetece mucho leerlos, veremos.
Profile Image for turn_the_page_lady.  (sue mc).
293 reviews3 followers
January 6, 2024
Wow
I absolutely loved this book! The other Salinger brothers stories have been great and I was looking forward to reading about the illusive Holden! This book has me hooked from the start. Loved Holden and Blair and their story, and what a story it is. This made me laugh, smile, gasp and I felt all the angst !
A wonderful blend with humour and spice throughout.
One of those stories where you can’t put it down and want to get to the end but at the same time don’t want it to end! Carrie just gets it spot on every time.
Going to buy - physical copy as it’s going to be one to re- read regularly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Tijana.
283 reviews6 followers
Read
February 18, 2024
the most random plot ever but it was entertaining enough i guess
Profile Image for Aniqah.
36 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2024
Not nearly enough grovelling from the mmc for my taste. Booooo 👎🏼🍅💨
Profile Image for Travelogged Blogs.
1,562 reviews129 followers
May 18, 2024
"I get the feeling that she’s been let down a lot in life, and I don’t want to be another person on that list. This is why I should stay away from her. And why I clearly won’t."

I really enjoyed seeing Blair & Holden together but I knew since the beginning that the secret she was hiding was going to blow up in her face and that's exactly what happened. But what I did not see coming was the way Holden reacted. It was very harsh and I wanted to see him grovel but Blair laid him off very easy which was disappointing. Overall, this was a mildly angsty but lighthearted read. I liked all the scenes with the brothers and Blair's sister and nephew. But I would've really liked it if the third act breakup did not happen the way it did. So my rating for the book would be 3.25 stars.
Profile Image for Nonieღserenity2bliss.
2,042 reviews378 followers
October 30, 2024
Judging from its cover, I had expect this to be more of a chic-lit but the story turns out to be not as lighthearted as I thought. I'm not disappointed, though. Just pleasantly surprised.

I love the characters, the chemistry, the writing. Honestly, I don't think there's anything in particular that I don't like with this one.

Great read!
Profile Image for Morgan Craddock.
61 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2024
This book was on par with the others I. The series. A good, quick read.

I will say, I didn’t like the reason for the breakup. Sure, Holden had every right to be a little suspicious when it came out that she knew who he was the whole time, but it felt very out of character for Holden to be outright cruel to her in that moment. Sure he boxed at a shady club, but he never struck me as an asshole. Angry about things in his life, yes. But not mean.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Piper Brintnall.
479 reviews2 followers
February 13, 2024
This is more of a 2.5⭐️ for me. The characters are a bit wooden and not fully developed. I felt like there was a ton of backstory that we never learned about. Holden is certainly interesting with his pediatric oncology background, who then visits a fight club regularly. He is right in saying that if fighting wasn’t his outlet, something else would be. I wasn’t really sure of Blair’s hesitation to reveal that she was the cleaner. I really wasn’t a fan of the conflict at the end. Holden’a excuses were weak and he was unnecessarily cruel. It definitely felt like a weak, contrived conflict.

The read is fine but it didn’t move me. And it wasn’t a “I can’t put this book down” read. It was fine.
Profile Image for readinfox.
221 reviews4 followers
February 2, 2024
Dnf 45%

Incredibly dull, zero chemistry, nothing interesting.
Same old “I don’t do relationships” mmc.
Though I do appreciate this author always writing grown up fmcs.
Most fmcs are either very young or at least act like it.
Profile Image for Ida Havard.
286 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2025
I went in blind, I knew nothing about this book, only saw a brief description from someone in BookTok. I am pleasantly surprised.
The plot at the beginning is engaging, the romance development is mature and honest.
This could have been a 5 star for me if only some minor holes in the story would have been filled... like
what's the deal with the sister? where does she work? what's her story?
or, what's the deal with her military past? why don't we talk about it? like what happened to you there?

And finally, I really loved that the MMC was a boxer and went to fight club where he was safe to practice his sport... but then, he completely does a 180 out of love? like I get it but I know the moral of the story is that we don't change for others, specially if this is not a bad habit...
He stops boxing
Moves (he was very against it at the beginning)
Changes job
Changes his mind about commitment and marriage...

Now, reverse uno card that... imagine if we show a book where the FMC does that, we would be BLASTING the author with all of our feminist bones...

it just felt off... like something else could have been worked out

However, this still was very entertaining, the writing style was very good, the storyline was solid and all the characters were great.
4/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lorna.
375 reviews
February 13, 2024
***5 Electric Stars***

Strictly Not Yours is book #4 in the Salinger Brothers series.

I really enjoyed this contemporary story. I thought the plot and main characters were brilliant, the secondary characters were excellent and likeable, and I really loved returning to the world this author created in this series.

Holden is a doctor struggling with the pressure of his job and spending his evenings at a fight club. Blair is a student who earns her living as Holden's cleaner and also at the same fight club. Sparks fly from the beginning when these two cross paths. This was an electric and magnetic couple. The plot felt fresh and bounced along at a good pace. This book was an engaging and enjoyable read that pulled me in and had me completely absorbed. It was fun, steamy in places, and was a lovely story of two lost people finding each other.

This book is part of a series but is also a complete story. You do not need to read the previous books to enjoy this one (although it would definitely enhance your enjoyment).
Profile Image for Becky.
1,257 reviews123 followers
January 25, 2024
"Strictly Not Yours" by Carrie Elks, the fourth book in the Salinger Brothers Series, is a captivating romance featuring Blair, a self-reliant ex-army student, and Holden, a pediatric oncologist with a penchant for the boxing ring. The instant connection and hidden identities add intrigue, while the characters' roles as caretakers bring depth to the story. The strong family bonds and the brothers' reunion provide a heartwarming backdrop. Though the book has more angst, Blair and Holden's journey to a happy ending is satisfying. A delightful blend of romance, suspense, and familial ties, making it a compelling addition to the series.

Full review at https://bookcaseandcoffee.com
Profile Image for Nerepheus_05.
225 reviews8 followers
March 16, 2024
Obsesionada con esta saga, aunque este libro me ha decepcionado un poco. He sentido que han faltado más conexión entre ellos y que las cosas se han acelerado un poco, me hubiera gustado que se hubiera hablado más del pasado de los dos para entender mejor sus traumas y porque les bloquean algunas situaciones.

Pero igualmente con eso me ha enamorado y no he podido dejar de leerlo, un día más y otro hermano Salinger me ha conquistado. Mi corazón es blando ante una buena cara y personalidad.

Deseando que saquen el siguiente con todas mis ganas y ilusión.

Hasta aquí mi TEDTALKS.
Profile Image for Jayne Wheatley.
663 reviews12 followers
January 11, 2024
Carrie Elks wrote two another amazing book that blew me away.
Loved reading about Holden Salingers story, as expected he was a great guy. A doctor with a stressful job and his stress relief is to jump in the boxing ring.
Blair is a tough cookie ex army girl who is now getting her education in Library literature science whilst working several jobs to get by and help her sister and nephew out who lived with her.
I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll be a little vague, Blair knows Holden long before he knows her, and when they actually meet she lets him think she doesn’t know him, as we all know nothing stays secret and when it’s brought to light Holden blows up so has making up to do when he realises what he’s lost in Blair’s.
Both Holden and Blair are compassionate and caring souls, so I loved seeing their connection strengthen. Holden was so goood with her nephew and I loved that, yet another connection they formed.
Holden’s brothers are another level, they love each other so much they may not see each other as much as they’d like but they still know how each other is thinking. That kind of closeness comes from love.
I think that’s one reason I’m addicted to Carrie Elks books, she knows how to weave family bonds that are unbreakable.

Profile Image for Karen.
211 reviews6 followers
March 27, 2024
Been waiting on this Salinger brother book. Enjoyed Blair and Holden and their curvy road to an HEA. It wasn’t a stereotypical dr book and really liked how Carrie wrote Blair. They had great chemistry.
Profile Image for K.M. Lowe.
Author 40 books609 followers
May 2, 2025
I was looking forward to this one, because I like a doctor romance. Holden is deep, dark, and mysterious, but when his path collides with Blair we see a different side to him. I enjoyed the story, I liked the characters, and it flowed well. A good edition to the Salinger series.
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