Put it down and go get Close Quarters. That lays the groundwork for the characters of the regiment itself, and the storyline in general. These (Close Quarters, Hearts of Chaos, and Black Dragon) are my favorite BT novels, handsdown, but I think they need to be read in order to get a full appreciation of them, rather than as stand alone books.
And it's not "mildly cheesy Mech action".....the boys and girls of the 17th grew up piloting agromechs on farms in the harsh outback of Marik space.....they are the best Mech pilots in the IS, so Cowboy and Buntaro Mayne can do a Wasp vs Phoenix Hawk improvisation of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and it is still very believable. Then again, I may be biased, slightly. ;D
Nonetheless, glad to see another reader.