I've never read the Merry Gentry series but my main problem with Anita Balke was her turnaround from being almost puritanical about sex to screwing everything that moved. Therfore if the Merry Gentry series started with her being very open about her sexual activities then I could see how it might have a better premise as a series.

Is Merry Gentry worth checking out? The premise sounds interesting enough to hook me for a couple of books or so.