Mercenary Princess (Mercenary Socialites, #1)

by Setta Jay

[stacey_is_sassy]

The woman behind the demure façade…

***4.5 Stars***

IF I wasn’t afraid of heights, scared to death of being in danger and didn’t hate wearing heels with a vengeance, I would SOOOOO want to be in the Mercenary Princess’s gang. Well, I would want to be in the parts where you take down baddies and hang out with the gang. I could also handle going to fancy places, wearing fancy clothes and eating fancy food. Not so much when you have to hang with toffee-nosed aristocrats who think they’re better than everyone. Oh, and like I said above…not too keen on being in danger. So, in other words, I’m going to have to live vicariously through Setta Jay’s, exciting Mercenary Socialites lives.

Mercenary Princess is very different from The Guardians of the Realms series but they do have a few things in common which is why I’m such a huge Setta Jay fan. Setta’s heroines are intelligent, courageous and not afraid to get what they want. Her heroes are strong, determined and bossy with all the skills needed to protect those they love. There’s always a cause to fight for and you, as the reader, are ready to sign up to fight the battle alongside the characters. It’s a team effort and each of the characters has a part to play. This team will have your back in good times and bad. Setta Jay's characters are fantastic, and the storylines always manage to suck me in and leave me grinning by the end. SUCCESS!!

I found myself looking at Sophia with a Catherine and Megan type of “Princess” in mind. Like Sophia, I get the impression that what we see in the media is not the real Catherine and Megan. I bet you they are quite capable of swearing like a trooper, have good and bad days and don’t always want to put on a smile. But, you wear a crown, it’s expected that you hold yourself with decorum and put that smile on because you love your job, charities, people and country. It’s an honour and privilege to wear a crown and be treated like a Princess…or so we’re lead to believe.

Sophia is leading a double life. Princess is what people see but Mercenary is what’s behind the façade. With the knowledge Sophia and her Socialite friends have gained throughout their years, it's their mission to bring down those in power who abuse their positions. From a very young age, they have known the hard and brutal way power can give you control. They have seen murder swept under the carpet, the abused being paid off, and greed leading to taking what you want…at any cost. I think this kind of stuff is happening in the real world that we wouldn’t have a clue about. A little part of me was reading and thinking that it would be pretty cool if there was a real Mercenary Socialites group seeking justice and dealing with them.

Viktor…Viktor…Viktor…oh, how I loved this bossy, BOSSY man. What I wouldn’t give for a bit more of a glimpse inside his mind. Brought up in a world where abuse means power, it was surprising to meet such a good man. Oh, he wasn’t too good, mind you. He still has his finger on the pulse and knows how to deal with people who threaten those he loves. Viktor’s power is not from abusing those around him, his power is in knowing the secrets of people in power. And now, it’s time to find out what his demure little Princess is hiding.

Mercenary Princess was an exciting step into a world of glamour and opulence. It’s always a little funny how much pleasure I get knowing that the fairytale isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, I could get to wear nice clothes and visit new places, but I would also have to do it while being bored out of my brain. I can’t imagine having a headache and not being able to cancel plans to stay in wearing my comfy clothes. There is no way I’d be able to smile at people who were nasty, evil or deceitful. No crown would ever be worth standing for hours in heels (my back hurts just thinking about it).

In Setta Jay fashion, this is a SEXY story. Sophia’s had a crush on Viktor for years and now that he’s seen her as a woman, he will do all in his power to have and keep her. When Sophia and Viktor come together IT IS HOT!! We can see the connection between the characters and how much trust is gained in the short time they have together. I loved watching their feelings get tangled up with lust and knew that it was always going to be more than they bargained for.

Like any first book in a series, we need to get the lay of the land. Sure, I wanted them to hurry up already but I knew that I needed more than a Wham, Bam, Thank you, Ma’am, to get to know them better. Besides Sophia and Viktor, we also need to meet the other Socialites and the team that has their backs. There are a few people I REALLY want to get to know better, starting with Forde, Titan, James and Ivan. It may seem like I’m only interested in the blokes, but I'm kind of hoping I’ve already met some of their happy ever afters in Jen, Irina and Riot. What I wouldn’t give to see Forde matched up with someone like Gabriella Cruz…hint, hint, nudge, nudge…Setta Jay.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.