The Mercenary's Daughter is a fast-paced novel. Although aspects of it are done well, pieces also felt quite rushed since the story comprised a few days. This was a fun quick read.

A BIG thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. THIS WAS SO GOOD!! I wasn't completely sure how much I was going to enjoy this from just the beginning. But once this book started to get going, it was so action packed! I really felt like a movie was playing in my head as I was reading.

Coming back from the military to be throw into your dad being something he never told has got to be crazy! That's what Tara seems to find at every turn! Tara and Mitch needing to find their dad is the only thing on their minds and they can't help it. First they get told he is dead and now he actually a mercenary and kidnapped! The story just keeps getting crazier after that. This story really tears at the heart strings and shows how far a daughter will go for her dad!
Tara has become a favorite character of mine only because I am a lot like her. The sass and determination through everything is how I live my life. Girls should look up to characters like these because all woman should be as badass as her. Mitch gives a difference in personality for the story and just wants his family back together in the end. Which is what every really wants when something bad happens.
The story is always moving and I love the relationship that happens between Mitch and Tara. Getting through together after 4 years of not speaking into all of this has to be hard and they just push through for their dad. They know no matter what happened before they are family and it has to be done. Though Tara is strong and military trained Mitch comes in with the brains any time he can which I love.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise and the story line are fresh and new, but I'd like to see a more polished finished story. The writing seemed a little heavy and uneven. A little more background on all of the characters would have been nice as well. I did feel the author did a nice job of wrapping up this storyline while leaving the ending open enough for a sequel.
I was giving an electronic Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

AMAZINGGGG!! This book was a wild rollercoaster from start to finish and I loved every second. It was a pretty quick read but it was so action packed that any longer would've probably decreased the quality of this book. I loved the characters and especially loved the major cliffhanger twist at the very end. This was a great book.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, & the publisher for a chance to read & review an E-ARC of this novel!**

WHOA! This was not what I expected at all...& I mean that in such a good way. I went in thinking this was going to be more like Spy Kids for teens (which still would not have necessarily been a bad thing)...but it was so much more than that! It was action packed, full of drama, suspenseful, & loaded with family empowerment. I enjoyed it SO MUCH! Can't wait to check out more from these authors & in this genre. Please find my extended thoughts below...along with some spoilers (beware). :)
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Things I Liked:
-the cover! It grabbed my attention right away even though this isn't a genre that I typically read.
-how this novel challenges some of the stereotypes regarding expected male/female qualities...Tara (the sister) is the tough badass ex-military chick who knows her way around a gun & Mitch (the brother) is the geeky smart dude who is headed to MIT...it was refreshing to have some of those typical stereotypes challenged & this being done so well/believably
-the writing style kept me reading & wanting to know what was going to happen & how things would work out. It also really helped me to picture Havana. I love a descriptive writing style.
-I liked how the authors portrayed Tara's issues with PTSD symptoms...they never said she had been diagnosed with PTSD...but a person can certainly have symptoms of a disorder without being diagnosed or meeting full criteria for diagnosis. I liked how this was handled respectfully & realistically.
-I enjoyed the relationship between Tara & Andy (although I admit that I was suspicious of him at first). And...I was happy that their relationship didn't take over the whole story! The plot still very much focused on the action.
-the realistic portrayal of the corruption that occurs all over the world

Things that Didn't Quite Sit Right with Me: (there really wasn't much)
-Sasha sort of rubbed me the wrong way. Well...actually It really wasn't her I guess...more the fact that her place in the "family" resumed after everything that happened. I know I wouldn't be able to get past the fact that she gave up on my dad even if it is part of the "job" to do so.

Overall, I gave this novel 5 stars! I think it would be a great read for those interested in YA, action, or those interested in family dynamics & novels about criminal activity. And that cliffhanger ending....UGHHHHHHH. Sequel please! :)

This book was lots of fun! Very fluffy. Which sounds wrong when the main character was running around shooting people, hot-wiring cars, and causing mayhem, but yeah. Fluffy. It's completely obvious that everything will work out in the end, and takes very little mental energy to read. In a good way.

Tara has just been dishonourably discharged from the marines for shooting an officer in the foot. Embarrassed and not sure what to do next, Tara goes home to her father and brother. But the same evening Tara returns home her father gets a call to go to Beijing, supposedly on an emergency business trip for the appliance company he works for. He doesn't come back. Tara finds out that her father was actually an Extractor, working for intelligence companies to bring their enemies onto U.S. soil where they can be dealt with. But everything is off the books, and no one will get her father back -- except herself. Tara and her younger brother, Mitch (who is not nearly as angsty as the blurb makes him out to be), head off to Cuba to get their father back from a dangerous weapons dealer whom he was sent to extract. Of course, this is not as easy as it sounds, and things just get more messed up from there.

This book was actually a lot more realistic than I expected. We don't have a super-annoying 16-year-old-protagonist who can magically take down men twice her size and save the world by herself. That drives me nuts, but that was not the case. Tara is 22, has had military training, and doesn't work completely by herself. And things go wrong. Very wrong, at times. Of course, it's still completely unrealistic; in real life these stories don't turn out right in the end. But the characters are fairly well-developed, there is plenty of action, and Mitch's ideas for destroying things are really cool.

It would need some depth and less swearing to get more stars, but overall it was enjoyable.

Note: there was some profanity, although not as much as I expected. Nothing too drastic. There are a couple of passionate kissing scenes, but nothing farther than that. And people are shot by the main character, die in other ways, are tortured, and disintegrated. Nothing overly graphic.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

I'm very indecisive on this book- it was very attention catching, with plenty of action and never a dull moment! At the same time, it felt almost... too "everything happens and everyone ends up ok" for me to love it. I enjoyed the sassy, not taking your bullshit main character, Tara- she's the modern heroine that can take care of her self, instead of hiding behind every one else. At the same time, it made her feel a little too fake, even with her flaws. I also never understand the scenario where some one finds out their parent(s) are actually spies/secret agents/mercenaries.

Overall, if you're looking for a fast paced, action filled quick read- give this book a try! I wouldn't mind seeing more in the future from these authors!

I can see this novel as a movie!

It is well written, action-packed and has great characters. This was my introduction to any work by the two authors and they did a wonderful job, I will be looking for their books in the future.

Tara feels like a failure returning home from the army with dishonourably discharged rather than merit. She has not kept in contact with her family or friends during her time in the army. Tara needs to rebuild these relationships and start her life.

Her father goes missing, but no one is looking for him. Tara and her brother must work together to try to get their father back.

The story is set in Florida and Cuba, we see Tara's training come into play strong in the story. She is a true alpha woman, but we also see the relationship with her brother improve during this time. She takes the time to listen to him and not consider him the baby.

Can Tara and her brother take on a Cuban drug lord to get their father back alive?


Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Page-turner, Wonderful characters

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I love a good sibling dynamic and this story had a very cinematic feel to it as I was reading it. I am looking forwards to the next book to find out what happens next.

Tara a 22yr old, smart-ass Marine, who was dishonorable discharged, returns home after 4 years. When her dad goes missing, she and her teenage brother discover he isn’t who they thought he was. Finding out he’s a mercenary leads them to a rescue mission in Cuba.

Really like how Tara uses her checkered past and military skills as means of survival on the mission. Plus, she’s a fast thinker and sees the opportunity in the situation, while her brother Mitch is some sort of genius.

With a down to earth, in your face, very personal POV, this felt like a thrilling ride of a film. With snarky voice over to boot. The sibling bickering makes you smile. It is adequately paced, with lots of action and surprises, but still has room to breathe, so you can take in the protagonist’s emotions. Emotions that are sometimes described in a bit of a cheesy manner.

They are fighting against all odds and when you think that nothing else could go wrong, ti does. I have to say that the action was well written, giving you an exact picture of what was going on.

Quick read, insane fun, characters you cheer for, classic baddie you enjoy hating, outrageous in the best way possible. Also during the epilogue I had a stupid grin on my face till the last sentence! Here’s hoping for a sequel.

Thank you to Acorn Publishing and NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.
I want to start by saying that I wanted to read this one for the strong female character-spy theme. I found The Mercenary’s Daughter to be fast-paced and, for the most part, a fun read. The arc provided to me had editing errors that pulled me out of the story many times, but I’m sure the final version was revised, so that won’t happen to anyone else.
Tara Kafee, who is dishonorably discharged from Special Ops, returns home to her father (Harry) and younger brother (Mitch). She quickly learns that her father is an extractor for the US government or mercenary. Harry gets into trouble. Tara and Mitch sneak into Cuba to save him, and chaos ensues.
I have never read anything by either author, but I will be checking them out now. Here’s what it breaks down to for me. I felt like Mitch grew throughout the story. He was an excellent addition. Tara, however, was a little blah for me. She’s a tough girl who gets lost after her mother leaves the. Like the story always goes, Tara lashes out by getting into trouble. Eventually, she decides her only way out of a future in crime is the Marines. Great. Love it. Tara works her ass off as a special ops recruit, but then something happens that derails her, and she’s kicked out. She should be pissed, but she seems resigned. Tara says there’s nothing she can do, and I hoped for more out of a strong female character. I wanted her to show some fight in a situation, but that’s just me.
My biggest problem and/or question during the entire story was, why shouldn’t Tara know how to be a team player? Isn’t that what the military would have taught her? Instead, she spends most of the story making selfish and fly-by-the-seat of her pants decisions. She has very little growth.
I gave the book four stars because I love a “spy-ish” story. I can’t wait to read the next book, which the ending set up with a “shocking” revelation. I was disappointed with the end because I waited for that twist to happen in this one. BUT that’s just my opinion. I will check out the next book because I do want to know what happens next and if Tara can learn to be a team player.

What a ride !

I definitely enjoyed reading this fast-paced, action packed story. I dove into the story expecting a lot of cliches but I was surprised to find an interesting storyline, a meaningful mission and a lot of twists and turns. This book could be easily made into a Hollywood movie.

In the first chapter we get introduced to our heroine, Tara. A literal renegade of a woman, who likes to jump straight ahead into dangerous situations. She was a soldier in the Marines and this is where she learned how to fight, where she learned how to survive and this is where a lot of emotional trauma happened. After 3 years with the Marines she got kicked out and had to go back home. After only a few days there, her father got entangled in a car accident and is supposedly dead. But Tara doesn't believe that. So together with her brother Mitch, they go on a saving mission.

I liked Tara as the heroine. She was bold and courageous, I loved how she wasn't really scared in any situation. I mean that's how a soldier should be ! Being in the Marines has made her familiar with weaponry and how to deal with stressful situations.
I also admired her strong love towards her father and her will to never give up. She had a few characteristics I definitely enjoy in a heroine.
Mitch was extremely cute ! His knowledge on science and his smart scheming definitely helped Tara out a lot. This ultimate sibling duo, made fore some great energy and even greater action scenes ! Andy was a nice addition as well.

The book is filled with a lot of of stealing, hijacking, and shooting add to that the smart plans and schemes and you get a perfect action/adventure story. Its exciting from beginning to end, leaving you on an edge.
I really hoped we could get to know why Tara was dismissed from the Marines, but maybe we'll know that in Book 2.

I enjoyed the story, I thought the concept was fun and it was a good action story. I thought it was well written and was really well thought out. I just did not enjoy the characters. They just were not characters that I felt were particularly interesting and I just did not really care what happened to them during the story. I found the initial introduction to the characters did not make me want to know more about them.

This was not my taste at all. It didn't get my attention or hold me the way I thought it was going to.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers and the authors, yes two authors for an ARC copy for my review.

When Special Ops recruit, Tara Kafee is dishonorably discharged, there’s only one place to go—Home.

But there’s more waiting for her there than she’s ready for.

It’s been four years since she’s been back and ten since her mother walked out on the family never to be heard of again. She’s determined to rekindle things with her father and keep him close. That is, until he goes missing.

Soon after stumbling upon a safe room full of weapons, fake passports, and a mission’s dossier marking a target in Cuba, she reluctantly accepts the help of her angsty teenage brother. He’s the only one she can trust, so together, the two set out for Havana.

Tara is determined to get her father back, whatever it takes, but things are never easy when you’re the mercenary’s daughter.

A great book for a first thriller from Jessica Therrien, well paced, gripping, good action. Great to have a main character who really is not quite ready to be the action packed lead, but is thrown into the action alongside her younger brother.

Tara does not know how to do things right but has to learn quickly, with the help of her brother, who really to make a good team with the help from Andy.

Entertaining with hints of humour and we have two main leads who are not the perfect team yet but are learning quickly.

A good twist! No more said !

Entertaining, well written, well paced. Four stars

The Mercenary's Daughter is written by co-authors Jessica Therrien and Joe Gazzam. It is a spy thriller with a touch of romance thrown in. The story follows Tara Kafee, a former Special Ops Marine who was dishonorably discharged from the military for reasons that need to be cleared up. When she returns home to Miami, Florida, she has to deal with the attitude of her younger brother, Mitch, the strange disappearance of her father, Harry, who was also in the military, as well as uncovering secrets about Harry that has been kept secret for who knows how long.

After getting word that Harry is dead, Tara and Mitch are not too happy about the explanation that is given. Soon after stumbling upon a safe room full of weapons, fake passports, and a mission’s dossier marking a target in Cuba, the truth is revealed. It appears that Harry went on a retrieval mission to Cuba and was captured. Apparently, Harry is what's called an extractor who gets called upon when someone too extreme and off the books needs to be brought back to the States to face justice. These so called sensitive ops are formed to help maintain deniability. So, again, something went wrong, Harry was caught, and now he's disavowed by everyone.

Tara reluctantly accepts the help of her angsty teenage brother who has been holding hatred for his sister inside for the years she was in the military. Mitch is the only one she can trust, which means that Tara and Mitch have to put together a plan on the fly, invade Cuba with a stolen boat, find Harry, not get captured or killed, and bring him home. Most of this story takes place in Havana, Cuba while the rest takes place in and around Florida including Key West.

Upon arriving in Havana, Tara and Mitch have to find Harry's contact which ends up being Andy who very much wants to get the hell out of Cuba. Tara, Andy, & Mitch face corrupt cops, arms dealers, drug kingpins, and all sorts of danger while using cable cars, zip lines, scuba gear and one beauty of a 1955 Chevy Bel Air as transportation. Yes, one absolutely needs to suspend belief while reading this book. You have to suspend belief that Tara, while trained as a Special ops soldier, and her brother who is a science prodigy, will work together after years of antagonism between the two of them to help their father come home. You have to have an idea that Tara is trying to find what she is supposed to do with her life now that she doesn't have the military after she, well, nah, no spoilers.

The problem I have with this story is the ending. First, the publisher doesn't tell the reader whether or not this is part of a series or not. Second, the authors leave a huge, shocking, head scratching cliffhanger ending which apparently means there needs to be a sequel in order to find out what happens next. So, we shall see what we shall see when it comes to an actual sequel and whether or not it will be released.

The Mercenary Daughter is better than I expected for a YA/Young Adult Book. The story movies movies quickly as the characters are make there way and grow though the story. It reads like a movie so reader will find it to be a quick easy read with little explaining needed as to why the characters are motivated.

Readers will see inspiration in this book from pop culture and movies.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Jessica Therrien and Joe Gazzam The Mercenary's Daughter.

I liked this a lot more than I expected too. I loved the sibling dynamic between Tara and Mitch and I really enjoyed the writing style too. It had a very cinematic feel to it and I could definitely see this story becoming a movie. The cliffhanger at the end has me wanting to read the next book immediately!

** I received a copy of Mercenary's Daughter from Net Galley and Xpresso Book Tours (Acorn Publishing) in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My opinions are my own and not solicited in any way**

Mercenary's Daughter by Jessica Therrien and Joe Gazzam was a fun action packed high adventure read set in Florida and Cuba. Be warned that this has a cliff hanger though so be prepared with that mentioned it's still worth a high 4 star rating. But I felt like it was reading both a thriller and a YA book nothing wrong with that though it just needed a bit more something to the Tara/Andy story line.

Tara Kafee has come home to her dad when she was given a dishonorable discharge from the Marines Special Ops with resentment to the world. But not everyone is happy to see her especially her little genius little brother Mitch. When their Dad gets a urgent but strange phone call Tara feels like something is off especially with Sasha whose his coworker. When they find out that Harry is missing they discover that his job isn't appliances but mercenary extraction. So off to Cuba they go in a stolen speed boat after sneaking into Havana they meet Andy who takes them on an adventure of their lives. They use cable cars, zip lines, scuba gear and one beauty of a 1955 Chevy Bel Air as transportation. Will the siblings take on a known gun and drug runner to save their dad? Because theirs one thing Tara knows and that knowledge of her military training may save all their lives including Andy.