Mercenary Princess: Mercenary Socialites, Book 1 (Unabridged‪)‬

Wow! Y’all. This audiobook???? It is addictive! 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙅𝙖𝙮 has got some extreme talent! This book has it all, from steamy passion, to angst, to suspense and beautifully chiseled characters. It absolutely captivated me! I love that 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚢 𝙳𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚗 + 𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚊 we’re paired together to bring Viktor & Sophia to life for us. Their voices together…..😍swoon😍. The intensity between the characters was really vibrant with these narrators. Every emotion could be felt between them! The deeply intense plot line was also amazing! I loved how twisty and turny 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙅𝙖𝙮 made this one. The suspense, the forbidden desires, the passion, all of it was *👩🏻‍🍳💋*!!! I am truly a fan of this author now! Viktor has my soul now! I can’t wait to dive more into her world!

3.5⭐️ 3.5🌶️ 5🎧

Producer: Dark Star
Narrators: Angelina Rocca + Troy Duran
Narration type: Duet
Standard length: 8:33
Listening speed: 1.7x

Tropes: romantic suspense, royal, age gap, billionaire

📖 This story has such an interesting premise with a royal princess leading a double life! Sophia Loredan and her friends are vigilantes leading back to their formative years when they witnessed the wealthy elite get away with something no one should. Sophia has had a long time crush on Russian billionaire bad boy, Viktor Popov, also a collector of secrets. While on a mission, Sophia can’t help but notice that Viktor has taken an interest in her too. They fall quickly into a series of hot night together, but Sophia has to dance around her obligations to the crown and her secret work with her friends.
The spice was hot, and Viktor was a dominant alpha but I found myself wanting more tender moments between the two. He did a lot behind the scenes that showed he cared about her, but I craved the relationship building moments between them. The side characters were an interesting bunch and I think the series has real promise as the crew takes on more marks. I did find the pacing to be a bit challenging in parts, slow in some places and then moving quickly in others that I was hoping for more in. The third person POV may have been a factor in taking me out of the scene a bit in parts. Overall it was a fun start to a series that was unlike anything I’d read before!

🎧 The narration was truly fantastic! This was done in duet style with Troy Duran reading all male lines throughout and the Viktor POV narration, while Angelina Rocca read all the female lines throughout and the Sophia POV narration. Troy and Angelina are absolutely fantastic and sounded so good together! They were cast very well for these parts and I could listen to them both all day every day! Angelina has a smooth and natural cadence to her voice that she packs a lot of emotion into. Troy had a rich, deep voice that he adds slight accents to for the role and it always sounds fantastic!

As a side note, I’m convinced that listening to third person POV is easier for me than eyeball reading third person POV — so if you’ve struggled with it before I would definitely give audio a try.

This is an excellent start to an exciting series, the “Mercenary Socialites” series, and it is not your average or even ordinary princess or mercenary story, it is so much more. The story is original with interesting storylines that captivate your attention from start to end. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, as well as easy to care about. Princess Sophia attended a private boarding school where she and her friends witness a murder, a murder that was covered up and years later she and her friends are on a mission to seek justice for that murder and for more evils committed by the one responsible. She is part of a secretive mercenary group who has the means to get the information and tools she needs to complete the mission. While on this mission she sees Viktor, the man who she has fantasized about since he first met him, but she cannot risk getting involved with him at the moment. That does not stop him from pursuing her or his curiosity to see what she is up to, because he knows she is hiding something. This is a fast-paced story and there is never a dull moment, besides the danger of the mission she is on, Sophia is dealing with her brother, a royal PITA who is looking to arrange a marriage for her and her unloving mother. Viktor and Sophia's chemistry is undeniable, and their secret trysts are smoking hot. When he discovers what she is up to and what her brother has planned, he puts his own plan into motion. Sophia can handle herself and she is no damsel in distress. She thinks on her feet and finds her own exit plan. This contemporary romantic suspense is cleverly plotted with plenty of drama, angst, twists and turns, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Setta Jay, thank you for the fascinating story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the fabulous narration, Angelina Rocca and Troy Duran were the perfect cast to bring the characters and story to life. They understood the characters they portrayed, giving each a voice that was fitting, and they were believable in every role they played. Rocca was fabulous as Sophia, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her fierceness to her determination. Duran’s Viktor was spot on, playing the swoon worthy alpha with perfection, accent and all. Both were fantastic in covering the secondary characters’ roles too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and enjoyable to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen.