Mercenary Heart

Reviewed by Kay Derwydd © 2006

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Mercenary Heart
Author: Diane Merlin
Genre: Futuristic/Science Fiction
Length: Plus Novel
Publisher: Mardi Gras Publishing
ISBN: 0-9789024-4-0
Release Date: August, 2006 Author website: Diane Merlin

Mercenary Heart is a wild ride into the farthest reaches of space. Set in the future, it tells the story of an unlikely family, all hellbent to rescue one of their own: an infant girl.

It is because of Tessa, the baby girl that Mik (and his crew) rescued and subsequently adopted, that Mik and his crew give up their rather questionable ways and set up shop as a legitimate shipping service. When Mik puts out an ad for a nanny for Tessa, he expects anything but Shesshie. The young (but very capable) woman waltzes into Mik's life—and his heart.

Then Tessa is kidnapped. The entire crew of the Freebird (Mik's ship) sets out to rescues the baby from the hands of the heinous inhabitants of a pleasure planet. But not everything in this game is what it seems, and surprises are not always of the good kind.

I came into this book not knowing what to expect. I've read a good bit of science fiction, some good, some not. This book surprised me—pleasantly so.

Mik is my kinda guy: war-hardened, take-charge, edgy... but with a soft side. He's definitely sexy; there's absolutely no doubt about that. A very strong character; the strongest, in fact. (And Lord, just wait until you see him all decked out mercenary-style...)

Shesshie is much better than most heroines I've read. She isn't wishy-washy or a total pushover. She's determined, headstrong, and still maintains the ability to be sexy in her own right. A perfect match to Mik.

The sex scenes were very well done, not going overboard with buzzwords. Mik is a caring lover, and the first love scene is hot and sweet.

Overall, this was a very good book. If you like m/f science fiction, with lots of plot twists that (pleasantly) rival the romance heat, then you'll love Mercenary Heart.

Kudos, Ms. Merlin!

Rating: 5 cats.

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To find out more about how to purchase Mercenary Heart visit Diane's website.