This is the second in Cherryh's Company War's series, the first being Downbelow Station. This had a different feel to it than Downbelow Station which was more space politics and intrigue. Merchanter's Luck is more personal, more focused, lighter. 
 (view spoiler)[It tells story of Sandor Kreja, a troubled, sole (and soul), small-time merchanter(a cross between Hans Solo and Firefly's Malcolm Reynolds) who runs goods of sometimes questionable nature and flies under a false name and papers. Sandor docks his small ship "Lucy" on Viking Station and promptly loses his sole crew member. Looking to pick up both a new job and a new crewman, he crosses paths with Allison Reilly, a junior officer from a privileged, respected merchant ship/family, Dublin Again. Sandy and Allie's ill-fated one-nighter ("sleepover")should have been been just that...a one-nighter, except that Allison lets slip that the Dublin Again is headed next to Pell Station. Sandor, fueled by a combination of lust, love and the opportunity to pick up a profitable job and pay off his debts, engages in a foolish, dangerous race to Pell Station. He makes it, half dead from exhaustion due to the double jumps he had to perform while still crewless. Allison takes charge and care of him, using her name and reputation to protect him from the authorities who have taken his ship under station protection. Sandor and Allison come up with a scheme wherein the Lucy would fly under the protection of the Dublin Again. Sandor gets a new, experienced crew with Allison and three of her cousins and Allison gets the chance to actually pilot a ship of her own, something she never would be able to do on the Dublin Again because of the family hierarchy. It is an uneasy alliance with each side not quite trusting the other. But just when you thought all we were going to get was this Romeo/Juliet story who should enter the story but dumdumdum...Captain Signy Mallory (from Downbelow Station). Yay! Although she only has a small part in Merchanter's Luck, Mallory, ex-Mazianni-now-Mazianni-hunter, is still the same ruthless, wonderful character from Downbelow Station, maybe even more so. Mallory soon sets Sandor, Allison and the Lucy on a collision course, and the book's conclusion, with the renegade Mazianni. (hide spoiler)] 
 Cherryh has written a wonderful, fun romp. I like Cherryh's world where loyalty and integrity still matter and woman are given equal shift in both running and possibly ruining things.