Mercenary Princess was a sexy and suspenseful story that completely captivated me from start to finish. Filled with intrigue and romance and characters that I absolutely loved, this story should go on every romance reader's summer reading list.

Sophia and Viktor were two intriguing characters that I wanted to learn more about. The chemistry between them burned fiercely, and the tension between them was really well-written. Viktor was my kind of hero: possessive and protective, and completely devoted to Sophia. I loved how Sophia was so much more than a typical princess, Her drive and what motivated her really added depth to her character. There was so much happening around them but neither could ignore the magnetic pull that existed between Sophia and Viktor.. The dialogue and the push and pull between them was really well done.

The writing in this book was fantastic. The storyline was evenly paced and completely engaging. Thankfully, there was no unnecessary drama, no overused plot clichés like vengeful ex's stirring up trouble. Jay has a serious talent in this genre. I am so thrilled that this is the first of a series, because I loved the supporting characters as well, and am eagerly anticipating their stories. This is my first read by this author but it definitely wont be my last.

Sophia is a princess who witnessed a murder when she was in private school. Her along with two of her friends realized that the murder was being kept secret, they start taking wealthy men and women down who do bad things and get away with it. When they go after a man who tortured women and kills when he doesn’t get his way, Sophia finds out he’s one of the men on the list her brother and mother made of acceptable men for her to marry.
Viktor is a Russian who deals in secrets. He is very wealthy, handsome, and not someone Sophia’s family wants her associated with. But Sophia has had a crush on him for years. He sneaks into her hotel room after watching her climb down a wall to leave without anyone finding out. They start a secret affair while she’s keeping her own secrets, so is Viktor. After she abdicates her crown, her brother finds out, he is furious and locks her in her room. She has had a plan to escape her family for years but puts it into motion.
When Viktor finds out what she’s being doing, he demands she stop but this is too important to her. Can he keep the woman he loves safe while letting her continue her work?
I’m not for sure if any of this makes sense but I’m telling you, you don’t want to miss this book. You’ve got a princess, Russians, secrets, sex, and intrigue. I always read Ms. Jay’s books but I believe this is the best. I cannot wait for the next in this series.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

4.5 stars

This is one of those books that I was thinking about when I wasn't reading it. I LOVE finding a book that just pulls me in. I went into this one without really knowing the premise of the story. I loved Setta Jay's Guardian's series. I was a little apprehensive that I would be reading a repeat of sorts but this was not the case. So without being spoilerish, I'll just say that this was a great start to an exciting series. Strong female character and an alpha male that keeps the story moving. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

I loved this book so much! Setta Jay is another new to me author and I was really lucky to have the opportunity to read this book as my first from her.

Sophia is a royal princess who leads a double life as a mercenary; righting the wrongs done by the people in high society. It all started as a teenager in boarding school where she and her friends witnessed a murder and it was covered up by money. Seeing the injustice, her and her friends and hired mercenaries for the past 8 years have been making sure the people pay and are brought to justice. During the current operation, Viktor, a man Sophia has had a crush on since she was 16, takes notice of her. Sophia intrigues Viktor, he's noticed her in the past couple of years eyeing him but it was not until recently when he saw her scaling a wall that he's become very very interested in her. Viktor is what people would call a bad man, he's done some not so legal things in his past. People are afraid of him, he is intense and when he finds something he wants, he will do whatever he can to get it. And now he wants Sophia and all her secrets.

Normally I'm not too much of a fan of romance involving royalty, but this one was really unique. Sophia didn't like her life as a princess, she felt like she was in a gilded cage, she wanted the freedom she felt while she was living her double life. So she decided to take this opportunity with Viktor for as long as she can, she just didn't know how possessive and protective Viktor is. Viktor is the type of hero I love to read about, the macho, alpha, dominant, possessive and protective type. The sexy times these two have are sizzling hot! But ultimately I loved the love story between these two.

As for the villain in this story, he is definitely a very very bad man, I'm really happy with how that was resolved. All the other secondary characters were also awesome, I cannot wait to read their stories!

All in all I am so happy I found another author who's work I really enjoyed. This book is definitely a must read, not your typical royalty romance book that is for sure.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

As a young girl, Sophia and her friends experience a traumatic event that left them feeling helpless and out of control. From that point on they banded together to create a group that could bring down the powerful men that the law couldn’t, or wouldn’t touch. Now, years later, she’s concentrated on her job even as she continues to smile for the press and present the perfect princess persona they all believe her to be. When she runs into the man that she has obsessed over for a decade she suddenly finds herself struggling to keep her princess façade front and center.

Vicktor’s past is painted in blood and violence. People fear him, rightfully so. He is not the type of man that a King or Queen Mother would welcome into their fold as a suitor for their princess. Nevertheless, he craves one night with Sophia. She intrigues him and he wants to know all of her secrets. When each step forward only creates more questions, he is determined to protect her at all cost.

Sophia was strong and independent even as she had to live a freedomless life all the while wearing a mask of conservatism. I respected the way she had learned to tweak the system to work for her own personal agenda. Never brash, she was still capable of cutting a man down in quick order and Vicktor yielded to her dictates in order to gain his own desires.

I absolutely loved how Vicktor wanted to force her to submit to his orders and yearnings and yet he knew the minute he pushed her she would be gone. This was definitely a hero chasing the heroine story and I gobbled it up in quick delicious bites. I absolutely love a hero who gets positively growly at times when not getting his way. And the dirty talk! Holy hotness, with a few guttural words he melted my kindle!

This was a fantastic read with awesome secondary characters that I’m already antsy to read right now! The beginning was a tad bit slow and it took some time for this couple to actually take over the book, but once they did, the story took off like a shot with a pace to match. The steam was scorching and I loved the jealous, possessive and most of all protective tendencies the hero tried to contain. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes hard core alpha heroes (who try not to scare away the girl) and heroines who are smart, a bit feisty, tough but not harsh.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.