The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Hart and Mercy #1

by Megan Bannen

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for readers of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook, Adult

418 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2022

About the author

Megan Bannen is a USA Today bestselling author of award-winning speculative fiction. Her work has been selected for the RUSA Reading List, the Indies Introduce list, and the Kids’ Indie Next List, along with numerous best-of-the-year compilations. As a former public librarian, she has spent most of her professional career behind a reference desk, but she has also sold luggage, written grants, collected a few graduate degrees from various Kansas universities, and taught English at home and abroad. She lives in the Kansas City area with her family and more pets than is reasonable.

Reviews

[Helen Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read a romance quite like this! It gave me really strong Howl’s Moving Castle vibes, and I admit for much of the book, I saw it like an anime rather than live action. So, for the romance lovers out there who love Studio Ghibli, this is totally for you. It takes place in an inventive fantasy setting with old gods, new gods, and talking creatures that I found captivating and fresh, and the love story between Hart and Mercy, especially their secret letters to each other, was absolutely swoon worthy. It’s a enemies to lovers story and I loved their banter. Sending this into the universe: Please make an animated film of this.

[toointofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel very strongly that you deserve a friend more worthy of you than I am in reality.


Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐,8

Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️

❗This is a spoiler-free ARC review from NetGalley❗

⚠️Trigger Warning: Various depictions of death⚠️

📍Date Released: August 23, 2022📍


I don't know how I managed to pick three different ARCs, all of them great, and all of them including adorable pet dogs that made the stories 100x better. It feels like a blessing, ngl. Another blessing is that I deeply enjoyed all three of these ARCs even if they weren't all 5 ⭐ reads. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy may have a pretty simple yet straightforward plot, but its execution was very well done. It was humorous, sweet, emotional, and delightfully romantic in that specific haters-to-lovers trope kind of way. Seriously, this trope is magnificent. Not to mention its additional grumpy x sunshine trope that I also find delightful and have been reading a lot of lately. It's the little things in life, right?? 😍😍 For the most part, I found this story terrific. Excellent romance and world-building, extremely likeable and relatable characters, solid plot and subplots. BUT, there were some minor things that didn't really impress me. For example, while the writing was mostly great and very intelligent, it could be a little cringy at times. Just some romantic parts and dialogue. Also, the male love interest, Hart, was a little too obsessed with his female counterpart's boobs, in my opinion. These are the only reasons this book didn't get 5 ⭐ because other than that it was excellent.

I liked Mercy Birdshall very, very much. Sure she's the protagonist, she's supposed to be lovable, and in this case, cute. Also, she has a dog and I'll love anyone with a dog. I mean, who wouldn't? Even so, Mercy was very well written, she was pretty complex as a character, strong-willed, and I don't know of any other character that could actually make the position of undertaker (mortician) look cool. I loved her compassion, loyalty, and her determination in the face of adversity.

Despite his obsession with Mercy's boobs, Hart was a decent character. As the grumpy one in this relationship, he lived up to his role successfully. He was morose, antisocial, and brooding. It was hard for him to make or maintain friendships which made him a very lonely person. I used to be like that as well, so I was able to connect with him more so than I did with Mercy. He was also kind, sweet, passionate, and hot as fuck. Don't come after me, secretly soft hotties are my catnip. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️His being a demigod was a bonus. 😍😍

The romance between Mercy and Hart was really good. Very entertaining. Not that anyone should expect less from haters-to-lovers, of course. Especially when it's combined with the grumpy x sunshine trope. The banter started IMMEDIATELY and it was so so gooood...and hot. 😝😝 I always love that when it happens. I was deeply invested in their relationship, happiness and well-being, but I will never forgive them for making me cry MULTIPLE TIMES. They scared the crap out of me for a minute there. Although, I do enjoy a good cry from time to time. It can be cathartic.

As for the other characters, I found them all to be absolutely delightful. Sure, I've had a few favourites among them. A certain humanoid rabbit messenger that was a total asshole in the best way possible and cussed at any given moment, for example. (intriguing right?? 🤩🤩) And Hart's apprentice with the best name I've ever seen, Penrose Duckers. WHO NAMES A KID THAT???? 😂😂😂😂 Despite his weird name, he was an awesome character, funny, sweet, and excitable. Pretty much the complete opposite of his mentor. You can guess how amazing the scenes between them were.

You should definitely read this standalone.

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨A wild and resounding yes but also a wild and resounding what the fuck just happened.✨

I feel like I need to reread in order to really process my thoughts because I really can’t articulate why it worked for me but it absolutely did. Helen Hoang said it was a romance and that’s basically all I needed to know. I don’t really think anything can adequately prepare you for all of the feelings you’re going to feel, so just go into this understanding you’re going to understand nothing until you understand everything.

The closest thing I can compare this to is The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels meets You’ve Got Mail. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy isn’t like The Wisteria Society at all but they’re also absolutely the same. Doesn’t make sense? Perfect. I want you confused, intrigued, and ready to risk it all for these two morbidly hot cinnamon rolls.

I laughed, I cried, I wondered aloud what I was reading several times, I blessed the rains down in Africa, I thanked the maker. Seriously, I really did cry. I did not think this book would make me cry. Oh how the turntables…

The romance hit me hard and Hart and Mercy really were the perfect enemies to lovers. There were talking animals, dead bodies (so many dead bodies), steamy scenes, and zombies. The world was both foreign, a bit dystopian, and definitely fantastical, but it also had enough snapshots of our normal life to ground my understanding. For example, Mercy read romance novels and loved bubble baths. It was cool to see how both worldviews were entwined, as you’re kinda just dropped into the story without extensive worldbuilding. Again, you’ll be confused until you’re not.

Overall, I’ll definitely be reading the next book by the author and will be forever happy I most assuredly judged this book by its (lovely) cover. Give this a read if you want to explore a romance maybe a tad out of your comfort zone! I guarantee the hart (see what I did there?) of the book is rooted in an extra sweet romance between two lost souls, looking for love in all decomposed places.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶.75/5


Tropes
- Found family
- Enemies to lovers
- Meet cute angry
- You’ve Got Mail esque pen pals
- Secondary romance
- Workplace romance
- He falls first
- Hero is a boob guy
- Grumpy/sunshine sidekick
- Angry they find the other hot


Quotes I loved (may be slightly spoilery)
✨ “I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I don’t want to hear ‘I’m sorry, Mercy’ or ‘I don’t deserve you, Mercy’ or ‘I hope you find someone else, Mercy’! I want to hear ‘I love you, Mercy’!”

✨ He spent a couple of hours finishing the copy of Enemies and Lovers that he had checked out from the library during his last visit to Herington. He figured that if he could no longer love Mercy in person, he could at least love her through the pages of her favorite novel.

✨ What was he supposed to say? I’m here to see your daughter to tell her that I’m her secret pen pal and I’m hoping against hope that she won’t hate me forever and might even want to have sex with me tonight?

✨ I want you to worship at the altar of my glorious
——————beautiful, intoxicating
—————————pussy.

✨ That is enemy cleavage, he reminded himself.

*all quotes are subject to change


CWs: There is extensive talk about a dog who passed away in the past, death of loved ones, forensic type corpse descriptions

Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are honest and my own.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stupid book caused a salty discharge to come out of my eyes, what is this?! *wipes cheeks* 😭 🖤

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A romantasy with shades of light and dark. Loved the lead characters, liked the story, found the world-building decent. Didn’t expect zombies! Good for those who enjoy this genre and don’t mind spicy and/or paranormal content.

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Story Synopsis:

Hart is a marshal patrolling the wild lands of Tanria. Mercy is handling her family’s undertaking business almost alone after her father suffers a health scare.
Hart hates Mercy. Mercy hates Hart. But their paths keep intersecting as his work makes him visit the undertakers often. Both don’t realise how lonely they are in their situations.
One day, feeling quite low, Hart finds himself penning a heartfelt missive to “A Friend”, not expecting that the magical postal system will ensure that he gets an anonymous letter back. Guess whom it is from? (No marks if you got that right!)
Thus begins the open-hate-secret-love relationship between the duo, at the same time as Tanria is battling a dangerous threat. Will their romance survive as survival itself seems at stake?
The story comes to us in the alternating third-person perspectives of Hart and Mercy.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The main characters: Hart and Mercy both are unusual leads in various ways. Hart’s being a demigod is already a huge (literally!) point in his favour. But what was even more special was Mercy’s being an undertaker, and even being passionate about her job.

😍 The storyline: Quite interesting, especially in the second half when all the romantic build-up is finally over and the romantasy action begins.

😍 The secondary characters: Mercy’s family – comprising her father, her sister, her brother-in-law and her brother – as well as Hart’s colleague Pen Ducker all are amazing. Some other minor characters also leave their marks, including the two “postmen”. Can’t forget Leonard the dog!

😍 Through Mercy’s family, we also get to see many gender stereotypes shattered, whether in business or in personal life.

😍 Many sweet moments and loads of banter, courtesy various characters. This balances the seriousness of the danger.

😍 There’s a lot happening in the book, and I mean, a lot! Not in terms of themes, but in terms of events. The threat to Mercy’s business from a rival, the drudges, the romance, her brother’s secret desire, her sister’s pregnancy, Hart’s new partner, his grief over his past, his demigod status, the new threat to the town – all of this could have got overwhelming, but the author keeps a firm control on everything and doesn’t get any track get out of control.

😍 The first half of the book is somewhat slow, but there is enough to keep our attention and we also get to see the characters develop well. The second half truly shines, and enhances the overall experience.

😍 The spice level gets pretty intense, but to the credit of the author, she handles the scenes quite gracefully. (This level of steam would have been a direct Nay for me, but I have been so traumatised by ‘The Lady Thief of Belgravia’ that I read just a few days ago – with its ubiquitous and crass spicy scenes – that this feels like a classic in comparison.) This point will anyway not be an issue for those who like spicy content in their books.

😍 The ending is awesome, and made me ignore most of the mixed bags.

😍 This is the first book of a planned series, but it completes all its arcs well. No cliffhangers!

😍 This book has zombies. They are called “drudges” herein, but they are still zombies. I read a book with zombies and I survived. Yay!


Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The epistolary content is sweet, but it is not as impactful as in some other epistolary romances. (I recently read Rachel Fordham’s ‘The Letter Tree’, which handles the epistolary part much better.) That said, I still enjoyed the friendship developing through the letters and the way the letters were delivered.

😐 I loved the connect between Hart and Mercy right from the start. This enemies-to-lovers romance isn’t as much grumpy vs. sunshine as it is grumpy vs. grumpy, which is a lot more fun. To see the two of them bond over their letters, and later, bond personally was a delight. However, I didn’t like that the conversion from enemies to lovers was so instantaneous – such a drastic change of feelings within a day???

😐 The fantasy detailing was great in some ways, with the locational setting and the varied characters such as demigods and non-human postal workers living alongside the humans. However, the world itself wasn’t clear. Many fantastical concepts such as the equimare and the autoduck weren’t described well enough for us to picture them. The process of sending the dead in a boat also was not detailed out properly. I liked the world but I wish we got to know it better.


Bookish Nays: (These are Nays for me but might not be an issue for others.)
😒 I always hate it when romantic pairs obsess more over their partner’s looks than their nature. Both Hart and Mercy are too focussed on the anatomical attributes of each other, especially but not only at the start.

😒 There’s too much of the miscommunication trope in the second half. While this doesn’t get as annoying as in some other romances, it is still frustrating.

😒 There are far too many cuss words, which don’t suit the overall tone of the book.


All in all, this one did take me by surprise. I rarely enjoy steamy romances and half-baked worldbuilding, but the appealing characters and the action-packed second half made the book mostly enjoyable. The ending added to the charm.

Recommended to lovers of somewhat spicy romantasy novels. This one has a good balance of fantasy and romance, so it ought to work well for the right reader.

There’s a sequel coming up, based on two other marshals mentioned in this book. I am definitely on board to see how the author develops this series further through their arcs.

3.75 stars. (3.5 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the rest. Averaged.)


My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit, and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


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July, 2024: Editing to Add
Completed Book Two: 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank'. I enjoyed it even more than this one, but note that it is very different in content and approach. My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

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[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute, cozy read. which is surprising because its about a man who takes down possessed dead people and a women who prepares them for burial.

i enjoyed seeing the relationship build between hart and mercy. im super familiar with “youve got mail” and have read multiple books that reimagine the plot line and use the anonymous penpal trope, so it was very easy to see how this story would progress. but there was a moment towards the end where i found myself totally believing in the MCs relationship and touched by their feelings for each other.

my only complaint would be the world building. it seemed very patchy at times and not quite as solid or as cohesive as i would have liked. i think this may have been because the romance was the priority. which is a shame, because MB is quite talented at creating engaging fantasy worlds.

but overall, this is a light-hearted story that is sure to put a smile on any readers face.

↠ 3.5 stars

[mina reads™️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally I had 0% investment in the couple or the main plot

2 stars for the fun dynamics between mercy and her family, the interesting setting and Bassareus the talking bunny mailman

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: The author and I are social media moots and sometimes exchange bants.
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.

Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that some people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.

*******************************************

This is a macabre, whimsical, unabashedly soft book. And I adored it.

I guess it’s technically what the industry might be trying to call “romantasy” which is to say a fantasy where the romantic elements are as significant as the fantastical stuff. And I actually thought the way the central relationship was woven around the more conventional plot-like elements (the mystery of Hart’s parentage, where the zombies are coming from, what’s going on with Cunningham, the dodgy owner of a chain of funeral parlours) was pretty damn masterful.

In any case, the basic setup here is … actually, it’s really hard to summarise. But essentially you have Hart, a lonely, zombie-fighter, demigod marshal, and Mercy, who works for her family’s funeral parlour: a mutual failure to understand the other has created an antagonistic dynamic between them that shows no sign of changing, until—each of them, in their own way desperate for emotional connection—they accidentally enter into an anonymous correspondence. Though, honestly, this is one of those attempts at a plot summary that barely touches on what the book is actually about … and that feels sort of right, because while Hart and Mercy is not explicitly a suspenseful read, unravelling its world-building is definitely one of its pleasures.

This may well turn out to be one of those “your mileage may vary” aspects of the story—those accustomed to more traditional fantasy fare, where everything is explained to you the moment it appears, might balk at being thrown into the action like a corpse from the back of an autoduck. For me, though, it really worked. You see, the more you, ahem, scrape the surface of the book, the more you realise that Hart and Mercy inhabit a deeply weird and specific world (the best description I can manage is, a bit wild west, a bit Waterworld, a bit Six Feet Under) but it is also very much their world, one they take for granted as much as we take our own. And there’s a particular sort of immersiveness that comes from only having the details of a setting become relevant to the reader at the point they become relevant to the characters—for example, we learn about the zombies (drudges) and Hart’s work in containing them when he’s mentoring a new apprentice, and the history of the world, with its old and new gods, is only fully explored when Mercy goes to church to pray.

In any case, as much as I came to the love the world-building, and how the book approached it, the true heart (heh) of Hart and Mercy is the characters, particularly Hart and Mercy themselves. I adored both of them, although I did end up feeling that Hart was the character with the greatest emotional depth and greatest emotional journey to, y’know, undertake. Mercy is quirky and charming (and enjoys reading romance novels in the bath—what’s not to love?) but the majority of her problems are external: her family’s funeral home is in crisis, her ex-boyfriend is a dick, etc. Hart, by contrast, has a lot of work to do in terms of understanding himself and his place in the world, and learning how to be open to both loving and living. There’s a lot about him that’s painfully relatable, I suspect even to people who aren’t, cough, profoundly damaged themselves. In fairness, though, I do also think that if both characters had equal degrees of the same sort of baggage to deal with it would have unbalanced the book in a different way and, while it was hard for me personally not to feel more connected to Hart than to Mercy, I deeply appreciated what the book was doing with its themes of love, trust and emotional vulnerability, and the way these are inevitably shaped by gender and gendered expectations.

“Woman help man learn to emotion, man help women find self-agency” is kind of the unquestioned bedrock of a lot of m/f romance dynamics, and I’m certainly not challenging its value. But something I loved about Hart and Mercy is that the characters catalyse these journeys for each other but, ultimately, they sort their own shit out. Mercy does not need Hart to fix her family’s business—the family fix their own business by talking to each other openly about what they all want and need—and Mercy is never expected to perform emotional labour for Hart. Through the act of loving each other they essentially free themselves and that is a beautiful, beautiful thing to watch unfold.

The other thing I found incredibly touching about their relationship is the degree to which communication plays such a significant role. Although, to be honest, there are a very few problems in this book that can’t be solved by a good faith attempt to communicate with someone else—which, again, I found kind of lovely. In any case, it is miscommunication that originally puts Hart and Mercy on the path to mutual hostility, letter-writing that brings them together, a lack of honesty on Hart’s part (he knows his anonymous correspondent is Mercy before she realises he is hers) that brings about their third act reversal, and honesty that brings them together again. Knowing Hart is … not lying exactly … to Mercy is a little difficult read, but it also feels true to where he is, emotionally speaking, at that point in the book. Something I had less patience for personally, though, was when Mercy told Hart she never wanted to see him again and then later complained that he didn’t love her enough to … I don’t even know what? Disregard her? Disrespect her wishes? Compromise her agency? This sudden requirement that Hart be telepathic was an odd note for me in a book that is so otherwise committed to the notion that love, whether it’s love of family, work, strangers, partners, is something you build deliberately and specifically in words and deeds, not something that just happens magically.

I’ve spent most of this rambling excuse for a review talking about Hart and Mercy, but I should also mention how much I enjoyed the side-characters too. From Mercy’s rambunctiously loving if not always entirely helpful family to the extremely camp magic owl who delivers the mail. Hart’s assistant, Penrose Duckers, is also a goofy delight although I wish his relationship with Mercy’s baked-good loving brother had been more fleshed out. Queerness is a very comfortable part of Mercy and Hart’s world, which I appreciated, but Duckers and Zedde basically take one look at each other and are then boyfriends? Obviously, they’re secondary characters (and mostly comedic secondary characters) so it makes sense their relationship wouldn’t / couldn’t have the depth of Hart and Mercy’s but it felt jarringly shallow. Especially, as discussed above, in the context of all the other complicated, messy loving relationships within the book. Of course, it’s totally fine for relationships to be shallow and I can see a reading of Duckers and Penrose as a celebration of connections that are nothing but banging and baked goods … except I also got the sense that I was being asked to take them seriously as long-term romantic partners. Which felt, honestly, unearned. I do half-wonder if they got stuck in a sort of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” twilight zone, in that if they’d been allowed to be young daft horny fuckbuddies (which is probably a more accurate reflection of their one-page connection—I mean, Zedde picks Duckers up with the line “well hello” like he’s Kenneth Williams or something) it might have looked like the book was implying queer relationships, or mlm relationships, were physically driven and superficial compared to non-queer ones. Although there is a happily married lesbian couple in the book so who knows?

Minor gripes aside, Hart and Mercy really is the most loving book, and its understanding of love so expansive and resilient that I teared up at about the 14% mark and later escalated to bawling on public transport. Given that it’s partially set in a funeral parlour and that Hart kills zombies for a living, death is also a major theme—but even death, in the context of this book, is a soft and loving thing, one that offers continuance, and opportunities for kindness, rather than merely the inevitability of ending. Emotions, in general, are handled with such tenderness here—especially, the unglamorous ones, like fear and, most significantly, loneliness. Not everything is easy in the world of Hart and Mercy, not everything is easy for Hart and Mercy either, but their story still felt like a safe space somehow. Somewhere that I myself could be a little vulnerable the way Hart learns to be. And that is such a gift of a thing for a book to give you.

PS - it’s also a genuinely funny book. I should have found a way to work that in earlier, but I was too deep in my feelings. But the levity is the perfect complement to the sweetness and some of the more wrenching moments. For example the phrase “horny illogic” has definitely made its into my personal idiolect.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 21%

“You’ve Got Mail” is my favorite movie, so you would think I would love a book based on that same general premise (writing to someone you don’t know but grow to love, and who ends up being someone you do know that you sort of hate). But I really disliked this for that exact reason, much to my own dismay. I just kept waiting for Mercy and Hart to have that same love/hate chemistry like Kathleen and Joe had, and I was sadly disappointed. It just feels like a bad knock-off. I think if you haven’t seen You’ve Got Mail or you did and don’t watch it every year like I do, then chances are you’ll like this more than I did.

[aly ☆彡 (on vacation) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn’t feel fair that I couldn’t get into the book at first because I found the story a bit flat—though I think it had a lot to do with Hart and Mercy not interacting much early on. I already knew what I wanted to rate this before it completely proved me wrong, making me laugh, cry, and end up having me enjoying it way more than I expected (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

I know this book was well-loved way before I picked it up and I do trust my Goodreads friend for the greater good, but I find myself disappointed because I was expecting a romance, and for the first half — it felt like I wasn’t getting it. The characters barely interacted, and honestly, if you think about it, that’s a pretty long stretch of time for a romance to develop. They were more like ideas we were told about—this whole "we hate each other" dynamic—without them actually being together. We just get a lot of Mercy and Hart griping about their lives in the beginning and although the letters were a nice touch, they didn’t feel like enough.

And so, the sudden shift into romance almost felt out of place. Fortunately, I am a very simple person because I dive into this book to enjoy the romance, and when delivered with one - I am a happy person.

Now, what could have been better? Well, a lot could have been better; especially the worldbuilding.
While the author introduces interesting concepts like fantastical animals, locations, and in-world folklore, there’s barely any description or explanation to make them come alive. Every creature, place, and idea seemed so promising at first, but I never really got to know it. Would you believe me when I said I didn't know this book was supposed to be about zombies until I read other's reviews? (ᵕ—ᴗ—) The world had so much potential, but it ended up feeling underdeveloped and confusing.

Also, whereas I enjoyed the moments between Hart and Mercy, do not confuse into me actually thinking it was well executed. When I said it felt out of place, I really meant it wasn’t fitting. The miscommunication trope was a big issue here—it was a classic case of "if only they talked," and the reason for not speaking up was weak, as it often is.

Not to add, Hart and Mercy treat each other terribly for reasons that are never fully explained. It's hardly digestible why they were enemies in the first place when their line of work would have them communicate with each other. Near the end, Hart also claims that he thought Mercy was profiting off deaths, but that explanation too — feels forced and unbelievable. Plus, Mercy easily forgives her ex but is stubborn with Hart. The lack of clear motivation behind their conflict makes it hard to buy into this 'enemies to lovers' trope.

Moving past that, I still think the book has its merits, particularly in displaying the intricacy of its characters. Despite its shortcomings, the romance between Hart and Mercy feels earned because it’s about two people overcoming their insecurities and emotional baggage to truly connect. Their personalities are both strong and shattered in their ways, and their friendship is what allows them to recover, demonstrating how love and connection can alter people who appear to be worlds apart.

Is this book perfect? Far from it.
Do I still enjoy the book? Absolutely, yes.

The writing style was solid, and the story itself is still an enjoyable read with plenty of charm and cuteness. And as someone with a heart as tender as mine, thank you for writing a book that made me cry, laugh, smile, and long for a love so deep it broke me a little post-reading this.

ps: I originally skipped this book from my Fairyloot subscription for reasons I can't quite explain (maybe the cover didn’t appeal to me at the time), but now I regret that decision and am on the lookout for anyone willing to resell it, please-

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was absolutely psyched when I read the description for this book. Make romance weirder and more imaginative! Make fantasy have more romance! I was hoping that this would be true love, but both the romance and fantasy parts fell under the “good, but not great” category for me. I had fun reading it, but it didn't sink its teeth into me like a ravenous zombie.

Surprisingly (and disappointingly), the You’ve Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner element was the least successful part of the romance. For some reason, I did not expect the comparison to mean “swaths of this story are a literal remake of the inspiration text down to the dialogue.” It gave those parts of the book a fanfiction quality (derogatory). It can be fun to read scenes you’re familiar with play out in a different universe, but this didn’t feel elevated or special in its interpretation of those story beats.

On top of that, the novel takes the best part of You’ve Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner—the shift from enmity to friendship to love—and collapses the timeline so the shift happens in mere pages. It also takes the part that is the toughest to palatably navigate—that he finds out the truth about their correspondence before she does—and blows it up to take more page space and make it an even greater source of conflict. And on top of that, I found the letters between Mercy and Hart to be pleasant and sweet, but fairly generic. They were not a stand-out in terms of what the epistolary format is capable of stirring emotionally.

Despite my qualms expressed above, I was still swept up by Mercy and Hart’s relationship when Megan Bannen wasn’t trying to fit them into marketing bullet points. There is such genuine affection and tenderness expressed throughout this book. Actual tears might have leaked from my Sahara-dry tear ducts?? It was easy to root for these characters and their happy ending.

(This 100% fits into genre romance parameters, in case that is a concern. The romantic arc is the central focus, there is on-page sex, and there is a HEA.)

I enjoyed the general flavour of the world Bannen constructed. It’s a fantastical setting with contemporary vibes—a place where underwire bras, bubble baths, and sneakers exist alongside portals to other realms, zombies, demigods, and talking animals who deliver the mail. But I hesitate to call what Bannen accomplishes world-building. It’s more like world-blueprinting.

The book goes in-depth in terms of some aspects like the belief system (it is very Game of Thrones with the Old Gods and the New and names like Grandfather Bones, The Warden, etc). Enough is explained as you move through the book that you understand the basic contours of the world. I didn’t feel lost, exactly. But I did feel undernourished. I would have liked more detail about the physical space and its occupants. For example, Bannen drops in words like “equimare” and “autoduck”; you can infer through context that they are this universe’s equivalent to horses and cars. However, if you asked me to describe an equimare I guess they are… vaguely scaly? Webbed-footed? As for autoduck, you got me. I mentally substituted in the Penguin’s giant rubber duck vehicle in Batman Returns in lieu of an in-text description. I hesitate to level this type of complaint given the current insufferable state of pop culture criticism (where fans demand an explanation for every single minutia of a story in sneering "but plot holes" commentary). However, I do think there is a way to achieve a happy medium between explaining too little or too much of a fantasy universe, and this book landed just on the side of underdeveloped.

Content notes for discussion of parental death (occurred prior to the story), mild violence and gore, and lots of (compassionately cared for) dead bodies.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Heather Mclarry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have found this book a lot better had I not listened to the audio book. I think the narrator made me too annoyed at the characters in the middle of the book lol. I will say I did enjoy the ending though

[Kezia Duah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
These characters are definitely not like the ones I usually read about. For one, Hart is a demi-god and Mercy is an undertaker, which is just mortuary stuff…I think. They were the main characters but everyone was genuinely interesting and made the book more fun! Add this to the really cool magical world this is set in, and you’ve got yourself a pretty solid book.

Hart is not someone who easily opens up and we the readers are mostly the ones who know much about him until he starts to share more about himself anonymously. Bannen really did a great job with his character. He is complex and mysterious and obviously lonely. Mercy is not necessarily the sunshine to his grumpiness. She herself has devoted herself to her family business and has not really done a good job of taking care of herself. Their anonymous letters were really cute but I couldn’t vibe with them outside those letters. I get that there were misunderstandings as to why they didn’t really get along at first, but it still felt rushed for me.

After some series of events, I thought the story was going to end up being predictable, but Bannen surprised me with other details about the world and the life of the characters, and the ending was beautifully wholesome.

I would recommend!

[aimee (aimeecanread) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so cute and interesting… in theory. 😭 I’m surprised that this book isn’t 600 pages long bc it felt like it dragged on for ages. Not a horrible book by any means, but I couldn’t see anything spectacular about it.

-

Pre-read: I wouldn't call myself a cozy fantasy girlie, but I've been hearing nothing but AMAZING things about this!

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book sooo much, there were some really great things about it but overall, it was kind of disappointing for me.

This is book is so weird and macabre and that was a HUGE plus for me, I love weird and macabre. The vibes were giving, the interpersonal relationships between the characters that were NOT the main love interests were also amazing, heartwarming and endearing. The letter writing was sweet, and even though this book literally copies and pastes an entire scene from the movie "You've Got Mail" I was fine with it. My problem was the relationship between Hart and Mercy or rather how that relationship was developed and presented to us, the reader. I loved both characters individually but when it came to them being together, it fell short for me.

Spoilers Ahead-


My main problem is that Hart and Mercy are only together and in a loving state for a millisecond in this book. They HATE each other for more than 50% aside from these letters that are mostly just friendly, (not super romantic at all) then they are together for a minute, where we are told but not really shown their day-to-day relationship bc there is a time jump, then there is a totally unnecessary third act break up and again they are separated. How am I supposed to feel the love when you give me NOTHING to work with? I wished this book was workshopped a little differently bc I think I could have really loved it with some minor changes.

[Deepak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good - Until it wasn’t and I started getting bored.

Alas , I finished it. One of those books that reminds you it’s not how you start but how you finish lol. 😂 RTC.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was funny, cheesy, and adorable.

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5 stars💫

[h o l l i s · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure I can round up on this one. But we'll see how I feel after I peck away at all my thoughts.

No word of a lie, it took about 40% of this book for me to get on board. And when I say on board I mean.. one foot on said board. I was like Jack, hanging off the edge, but at least I had stopped drifting, frozen, to the bottom in an attempt to escape. Because the entire beginning? I was | | close to a DNF. Or a one-star (though the final rating might not be much better!).

Beyond just not being able to grasp or picture this world (are they cars or part duck? why did it take me 80% to realize equimare was actually half horse half frog-like? did I miss that description or did it not get described at the outset..) and the combination of our world but not, and also fantasy, just did my head in. I appreciate we didn't get an info-dumpy explanation until it could be shoehorned in more naturally but I think this book is a perfect example of being Too Much and yet Too Little.

Speaking of which, someone, please, explain the boats thing to me. I started out lost about that and ended lost about it, too. Were they giant Viking-like boats? Miniatures? I swear it was explained both ways and I'm just.. well, honestly, don't bother explaining. Just know I don't get it. Back to me being unable to picture this world. It felt unfinished; like a sketched out concept that should've been fleshed out but wasn't. But maybe that's just me. Imma read some reviews after I finish this.

Also, listen, I love an epistolary novel but I have a love-hate with You've Got Mail (it's a concept that infuriates me when I think about the logistics but I can't help but still think of it fondly; but only in vibes and secondary characters, the romance is pure mess, but the drama of pining after someone who actually dislike is delicious). So the moment we shifted away from that? The happier I was. Because I enjoyed it when these two were together. I didn't like (or understand) the rationale for why they were hateful towards each other and, because of that, the switch flips too quickly. Almost.. instantly, if you will. Specifically for Mercy who, much like the aforementioned movie, is the last to know who Hart really is. His infatuation is gradual and makes total sense, though.

Which leads me into my Mercy issues. Her whole complaint about how her family just assumes everything about her and never asks.. well, missy, you never spoke up either! Frustrations like this are never one-sided and I lose sympathy with it more often than not. Additionally.. I hate to admit it but I only liked Mercy when she was with Hart. But that's not to say Hart was perfect! I wish there had been some acknowledgement about his mentor's failings or prejudice beyond the little drama that gets tied up with Hart's other friend. Mostly, I'm thinking about a line early on where he reflects on his mentor's observation that undertaker's like Mercy were greedy and opportunist. Did that ever get acknowledged as wrong? Once again, I can't recall. But, much like the waterhorse thing, maybe I missed it.

As for the other side characters? I would say most were just noise, either for some attempts at humour, or for added conflict, and I only really actually enjoyed two (Alma and Pen) and, of course, the dog. Truly, the only thing that really kept me engaged was the romance when it was romancey. So let's hope there's another romance -- one that is also weird but a weird I can get on board with! -- to come.

Because, yes, I think I would give this author another go. While I have nothing very effusive to say, neither was there anything dramatically terrible, and this might've just been a story-specific fail. So, yes, some good, some not-good, and thus it leaves us here.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

#1 The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy ★★★★★
#2 The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

It annoyed Mercy to no end that after years of putting up with that insufferable marshal, some primal inner instinct continued to think he looked good enough to eat.

Well, I adored everything about this. Mercy and Hart are adorable, most of the side characters are hilarious and lovable and a constant nuisance in the best way, the world is fun and unique, the drudges (AKA zombies) are just present enough to keep things suspenseful without ever over-shadowing the romance, and the entire story is a mash-up of so many genres that I never thought it would work, but guess what? It works.

I was sucked in from the very first moment Mercy and Hart bickered at one another, and it never got old. Even when I just wanted them to get over their respective obliviousness and recognize what was happening between the two of them, I still found myself enjoying the arguing and angst and reluctant attraction so much. I feel like a lot of enemies-to-lovers stories don't always nail the ratio—either there's too much enemy content with a magical flip switching them to lovers, or they were never enemies to begin with!—but Megan Bannen perfectly showed the gradual shift from enemies to reluctant friends to hot, passionate romance.

I loved every minute of this book, friends. I tabbed this poor paperback half to death and already know it's going to be a well-worn copy in no time because this is the sort of story I can easily see myself revisiting very soon.

Buddy read with Jamie and Ashley!

✨ Representation: Mercy is described as curvy and possibly plus-sized; multiple queer side characters (including depictions of two side romances, one w/w and one m/m)

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Content warnings for: gore, violence, death, medical content, misogyny, Mercy's father has recently suffered a heart attack

———
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[Ruby Dixon]

Hi there! Holy crap, I loved this!

At first glance, it gave me steampunky-western vibe? Mixed with magic portals and zombies? And I was like...is this a romance?

But the worldbuilding was so damn cool (and the cover so darn cute) I gave it a roll. Her worldbuilding immediately drew me in and I wanted to know more, and by the time they started exchanging letters, I was SHIPPING ALL OF THIS SO HARD. IT'S SO GOOD EVERYONE. I cried like a baby in the last 20% of the book and sighed with happiness when I closed it.

The enemies to lovers aspect was just delicious and the worldbuilding was fascinating! It kinda gave me Ilona Andrews levels of crunchy, deep-dive worldbuilding mixed with the super-satisfying romance. It's not out for a few months but if you like your romance with really intricate world building and plot, and you love a penpal romance mashed up with enemies to lovers and and and JUST ADD THIS TO YOUR LIST, SERIOUSLY.

(Also even though I blubbered as I read this, it really does end happily. Please do not be alarmed, my romance peoples.)

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Gah! I loved it!!



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Jess✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have any proper words for this book. It was simply PERFECTION!! Easily one of my favorite books of the year, and maybe even of all time. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

The world building, the characters, the storyline, the romance, the letters??? Everything was fucking amazing! I loved this book from the very first page and was hooked until the very last.

"Maybe there's a strange comfort in knowing that at least one person feels something for me, even if that feeling could be best described as hate." 💗😫

I felt EVERYTHING! This is the definition of the perfect enemies to lovers, set in a unique fantasy world that makes you feel all the emotions. ALL OF THEM! And yes, that includes ugly crying...

"Hart was late for work.
Very, very late.
He could not possibly care less." 🥹❤️

READ IT NOW! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

"I'm half tempted to tie you to the bedposts so you can't go back," she told him.
"I'm half tempted to let you." I'M DEAD.

I loved the characters so very much. And I'm so grateful and happy that I got approved for the arc of the sequel. I applied before reading this one because I just knew that it would be good. But I did not expect this to completely knock me off my bed and down the stairs... I will jump right into the sequel now, which focuses on a different couple in this universe. Expectations are high now, but I'm so so excited and envy anyone that can read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy for the first time. 👀❤️

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 2 out of 5]

For all the love this one is getting, sadly it was not one for me.

The balance of sweet lightheartedness vs the macabre was a valiant effort but one I couldn't believe all too well, with it instead feeling like a ricochet between the two. It made the emotions of our main two characters feel extreme and ever-changing as opposed to the complicated dynamic I assume was attempted. The timeframe didn't help either, with how quickly everything was acted upon.

It also seemed like the book was trying to do too much, with three main branches of issues - the demigod issue, the business issue, and the romance issue. None of these felt intense enough for me to be concerned, or fleshed out enough to understand why everyone was reacting the way they were. It was a weird one where everything just felt very surface level, so my interest just didn't really hook.

I think anyone who's a fan of the light fantasy rom-com vibe that seem popular in witchy books at the moment would like this one. Sadly just not for me though!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly solid magical rom com.

It is not the most romantic, nor the most fantastical. It's a great compromise between the two that resulted in a fun light hearted read.

Extra points because there is a disgruntled postal worker who is a rabbit with a New York accent.

[Rachel Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is simultaneously one of the weirdest and most beautiful books I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. At first glance, it plunges you right into a batshit crazy fantasy world (I mean, we have old gods and new, zombies quarantined in no man’s land, a society unusually obsessed with funeral homes, ancient anthropomorphic animals who serve as postal carriers, amphibious horses, and a whole new appreciation for the human appendix). But this story also contains some of the most tender, powerful musings on creation, life, and death that I have ever read.


⚰️ Mercy is a character I really connected with. She’s always surrounded by loving friends and family, but everyone is so busy with their own lives that no one stops to really see her. She has assumed the caretaker role in her family for many years - so when a huge decision about their funeral home business must be made, her dad and siblings don’t think to consult Mercy about what she wants from her life.


❤️‍🩹 Hart, on the other hand, really is all alone - partially by his own choice. He spends his days taking down zombies in remote territory, with no family and precious few friends to fall back on. After blaming himself for the death of his partner and mentor, Hart has pushed everyone else away - especially the annoyingly perky undertaker who processes most of the bodies he collects.


📬 So when one day, Hart happens to pour out his loneliness into an anonymous letter, he certainly never expects to get a response back. Or to find that his new friend understands his fears and loneliness better than he could have ever imagined. The question is, who is she??


💘 The romance is classic - very much a fantasy spin on Pride and Prejudice, with the twist of anonymous letters and hidden identities à la You’ve Got Mail. I loved watching these two slowly scratch the surface of the other’s prickly personality, and finally appreciate each other for who they really are.


If you’re looking for a quirky fantasy with lovable characters, unique worldbuilding, and twists that will have you reaching for your tissue box, this one hits the mark.

[R Thomson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The whole thing was too wordy and pretentious, riddled with sexism. I'm honestly baffled how a woman wrote this novel when it's so focused on Mercy's looks, and includes phrases like Mercy "loved chocolate cake and had the full breasts to show for it." There is literally no correlation between metabolism, weight and boobs that rings true for every woman. Almost DNF'ed around 100 pages cause it was just infuriatingly sexist and base.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen, I've seen You've Got Mail approximately 5000 times, so I was going to be into this almost no matter what. But on top of a story structure I love, I also enjoyed the bizarre dark-yet-whimsical world and the cozy family vibes

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m back with another cozy fantasy/PNR book review! INJECT THEM ALL INTO MY VEINS! This is everything that I’ve been asking for because I LOVE fantasy settings but don’t often love how much brain power they require of me when it comes to plot and world-building. These romance-centric ones, like The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, are perfect for me. This book in particular holds a special place on my bookshelf because I feel like it’s a book written for all the lonely readers out there. 🥹

What appealed to me the most about The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was the comparison to You’ve Got Mail. Epistolary romances are my JAM. I may or may not have shamelessly begged the lovely publicist for a copy simply because of that. I just knew that I would inhale every word of this book and I DID. Both Hart and Mercy are lonely individuals and that loneliness seeps into every chapter of this book. When Hart, in need of a connection, writes an anonymous letter that winds up being delivered to his real-life nemesis, Mercy, it sets off a chain reaction that permanently alters his life. Their anonymous friendship was delightfully humorous and heartachingly sweet. Through the letters, they bond over their shared loneliness and loss, forging a deep connection. As a fellow lonely person, I was touched by the way Megan Bannen wrote about their alienation. I can’t even begin to describe the pangs felt reading some of the quotes in the book because they are that resonant.

Soon enough, they agree to meet-up in person, but when Hart realizes that it’s THE Mercy, he leaves without revealing himself. Hart and Mercy’s dynamic outside of their letters was even more intriguing because they did not get along. They were still attracted to each other, but anytime they were in the same environment, they were ready to off each other. As a reader who knows that they’ve been unknowingly writing to each other, it’s nothing short of comical watching them act like irritable clowns! It provides humor and lightness to the story that I appreciated.

I was also unhealthily obsessed with both Hart and Mercy as characters. Mercy has to be one of the coolest characters I’ve come across. She has taken over her elderly father’s undertaking business while also having to care for him, handling her siblings, and dealing with the possibility of losing the family business. She’s got a lot on her plate, but she wouldn’t really have it any other way because she loves her family and the work that she does. Despite all that she’s going through, she’s actually the human form of sunshine to everyone around her (besides Hart). She has this quiet strength that made me love her fiercely. I only wanted for her to find romantic love to add to the love she is showered by her family.

Of course, she finds that love in the very grouchy, very sad, Hart, who is a demigod and a marshal. His job is to wander the island to find drudges, which are zombie-like creatures that are not as cute and cozy as the rest of this book. Hart is a sad BOI who loves puppies (😭). It probably makes me a little bit of a masochist but there’s nothing more I enjoy than reading books about sad characters. It’s not the actual sadness I *enjoy*, but the journey to the characters finding happiness. Hart’s sadness are as a result of his job and the sheer number of losses he has faced. Yeah, he’s a cantankerous knob at times, but can you blame him? He’s so hard on himself and so self-deprecating that you can’t help but want for his life to change so he experiences at least an inkling of happiness. Have no fear! While Megan Bannen ushers him through hell and more in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, she ultimately ends his story on a pleasant and rewarding note.

What I like best about these cozy fantasy books is the focus on the different relationships. The secondary characters add even more warmth and coziness to this tale through their varying relationships with the protagonists. You have some very relatable family scenes, a boisterous new sidekick/apprentice who pushes all of Hart’s grumpy buttons, a ridiculously funny scene-stealing talking rabbit! The world itself is wacky and weird, integrating elements of the modern world with fantasy elements. I liked how naturally the world was built and how it never felt overwhelming. I left the book with a good sense of it which makes the writing very impressive in my eyes.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is quirky, lovely, and all sorts of emotional. I really can’t recommend it enough and I hope that Megan Bannen writes more of these relationship/romance-centric cozy fantasies in the future. I’ll be seated!

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the liminal space between the late 1950s, Greek tragedies, and Night of the Living Dead, this book will drop you in the middle of a zombie-hunting gig with anthropomorphic animal mailmen and a very tall man who cries when he see dogs. Hart is a marshal who keeps Tanria relatively free of reanimated corpses and Mercy is an undertaker who keeps Tanria free of decomposing bodies. Hart dislikes Mercy but loves her boobs, Mercy dislikes Hart but loves his anonymous letters, and Leonard the dog dislikes nobody and loves everything. Do you think the 1998 cinematic masterpiece You’ve Got Mail was great but needed more demigods? Have I got the book for you. I cried for an hour like Hart when he interacts with a puppy. My favorite read of 2022. You’ll never look at teak wood the same again.