After hearing RAVE reviews from very trusted friends, I had to pick this up. I started on audio. The narrators were awesome and definitely recommend, but for me, I needed to see the words on the page to fully grasp the world that Bannen built.

Hart and Mercy are enemies in a very You've Got Mail/Shop Around the Corner fashion. They loathe each other in person, but long for each other in anonymous letters. Their relationship, both enemies and as more, was so fun to watch unfold. I loved watching them both grow and change and soften through the story. I think Hart's growth was the most heartwarming for me, but their love and their connection made everything even better.

It is full of fun side characters, family both found and by birth, and pets and creatures that I just adored. I only wish that I had been able to sit and binge in an afternoon and fully falling into this world instead of having to read a little at a time. ;)

I didn’t know what to expect from this but it was deliciously weird and wonderful! It was kind of like You’ve Got Mail, but with Wild West vibes….and zombies. The book begins with one of my favorite tropes-instahate, but also instant, undeniable attraction. I’m a sucker for characters that hate each other, but hate themselves even more for wanting them.

Hart and Mercy have a classic grumpy/sunshine dynamic, but Mercy is no pushover. She fights for what is right and she fights against the societal expectations of her as a woman. I honestly would have enjoyed her story alone even without the romance. She was such a great character!

The romance did not disappoint though. There was so much angst and pining and yearning. There is a bit of spice, and it’s so good, but it doesn’t become the main focus or take over the plot like a lot of romances. The story was really well balanced between all of the side plots and the relationships with the secondary characters.

Overall, this was such a fun and emotional ride. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting a different take on romance or anyone needing something to break them out of a reading slump. Bonus points for talking animals, Demigod daddy issues, and fantastic queer rep!

THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY is an out of this world ballad about vulnerability and family. Hart, a demigod, patrols Tanrian lands for corpses reanimated by lost souls. He's slightly grumpy, happy to work solo, and also quite lonely. Mercy runs the family's undertaker business by herself after her father's bout of ill health. She's upbeat, loves her job, and is also more lonely than she realizes. But put the two of them into a room together, which happens often since Hart delivers bodies to Mercy for burial, and they can't help but claw at each other's throats. In a moment of daring vulnerability, Hart sends off a note to no one baring how he truly feels about his life. Somehow his anonymous note finds its way to Mercy and she responds anonymously in kind, sharing similar sentiments.

The family subtheme that made the most impression on me was that of the one sibling taking on all of the responsibility while the others do what brings them joy. As someone who has often felt this way, though not in as extreme of a situation as Mercy, I found it very relatable. But I also appreciated the author's sensible, but passionate, characterization of Mercy. That is, she didn't begrudge her siblings their life choices. Rather, her frustration centered around their obliviousness to the burden she shouldered and their assumption that she wanted to escape the family business.

Despite this tension, it's evident Mercy has great love for her family as they do for her. I loved the boisterious family dynamic between the three siblings and their father. Once their family drama hits the fan in an epic way, they still have each other's backs and they make an effort to work together.

At the height of Mercy's loneliness, when her family doesn't seem to understand what she's going through, she finds solace and validation from her pen pal. On Hart's end, he realizes how difficult it can be for many to break through his gruff, sarcastic demeanor, which serves as emotional armor. Through their correspondence he realizes that relationships, family or otherwise, are a two way street. It really was quite endearing to see him blossom as he began to open up to the world, to take a risk and be vulnerable.

Although this book is heavily character-driven, I enjoyed the unique setting of the story. It's quirky, sarcastic, and has the air of an American western meets GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. I absolutely loved the nimkilim, who are immortal mail carriers in the form of animals. They were sarcastic and mouthy and I lapped up their dialogue. I would have liked to know more about the New Gods vs. Old Gods back story. But I was still quite satisfied with the development of Hart and Mercy's relationship with themselves and each other. Contrary to my past reactions, I found the exchanges between Hart and Mercy more entertaining after the big reveal rather than prior to it. However, there is still plenty of snark to go around.

Perfect for fans of light-hearted fantasy romance, THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY is a heartfult tale of the importance of connection to others. This is a fun read in a unique world that will send your soul sailing on a frontier adventure.

4.25/5 stars

This is a romance story that takes place in a fantasy world that includes things like monsters, demigods, magic, etc. Mercy is an undertaker and Hart is a marshall and they hate each other. However, both of them are writing letters to a secret pen pal (EACH OTHER!!!)
This book was like the plot of You've Got Mail + the cozy fantasy setting of Legends and Lattes + the death-related elements of Under the Whispering Door.
Both Hart and Mercy have interesting people in their lives (family drama, friendships, exes) that cause different situations to pop up throughout the book and I thought it was fun to see all those dynamics at play. By the end of the book, I really cared for both of the main characters and wanted them to be together.
I would recommend this to people who like cozy romance books and don't mind a fantasy setting. There is an overall plot involving the monsters and stuff, but really this is a romance book. I had a great time with this one!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
CW: grief of a pet, discussion of death/dead bodies

I didn’t enjoy this one, sadly enough, I can see the appeal of the unfolding of duel relationship paths, one filled with vitriol and bickering and another a meeting of two alike souls all from the POV of a male protagonist. But I never felt anything more than passing interest in these characters and their lives.

I do believe that for a certain segment of people, this contemporary fantasy featuring an antagonistic relationship turning slowly into love in the setting of a world with monsters and alternate realms will be just the thing.

Unfortunately, just not my thing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book, even though it took getting my copy from Fairyloot for me to actually get around to reading it.

Let me start off by saying that this book is more like 3.75 stars, but I enjoyed it so much, and didn't want to see it sitting on my shelf at a three star rating, so for the sake of Goodreads, I rounded up.

Next, SPOILERS INCOMING, because I can't actually explain what DIDN'T work for me without giving anything away.

I HATE, more than ANYTHING when it comes to romance books when there's some insignificant secret that we KNOW doesn't actually matter that causes the couple to break up within the last hundred pages of the book, to just quickly make up. Which is exactly what happened here. Let me be clear, if I was in Mercy's place, and I found out Hart was not only my boyfriend, but also my anonymous pen pal "friend", I would have laughed it off. I would have been confused as to why he hid it, but it doesn't matter. Like AT ALL. She wasn't out here spilling her deepest darkest secrets to a stranger that she wouldn't have wanted him to know. There was ZERO reason for her to be upset.

AND THEN, to make it worst, Hart dies and she has the audacity to demand he apologize for not knowing that she didn't MEAN for him to never come back when she told him that? Ew... I did NOT like that at all.

Yes, their relationship was cheesy for the most part, and yes, more than half of this story was predictable, but I found myself reading this super quickly and really enjoying it. The idea of the characters professions and the God aspect felt unique and refreshing and the animal companions added a cute and light heartedness to an otherwise kind of dark plot.

Also, as someone who just recently watched my grandmother pass away, did I cry? Absolutely. But it was also super well done and described a lot of feelings that I had when it came to leaving her alone once she was no longer with us really accurately. I feel like this could be triggering for some readers if they aren't prepared for it. Though going into a book where the main characters literal profession is an undertaker, one should probably expect some descriptions of death and what happens after.

All in all, I surprisingly loved this book and would definitely read more from this author.

This book was absolutely everything 🤩 5 stars 🤩. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hart and Mercy LOATHE each other....but when they begin sending letters back to one another anonymously romantic shenanigans ensue. Add to that a kick ass new world, full of Gods, souls, dangerous Zombies, Demigods, and adorable mythical mail carriers and you have The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. It's a You've Got Mail meets Six Feet Under meets Supernatural. Blessings to this author for knowing that a romance can't carry the weight of a plot alone, as well as building such a fun world to be in. I didn't want it to end!!!!

Five stars and a heavy recommendation to all who can hear me!!! Age appropriate for 15+ as this is more centered on adults and has a pinch of spice. This book will not let you down, pick it up upon release!

Mercy Birdsall, stand-in undertaker at small family-run Birdsall & Son Morticians, is bright, colorful, cheerful, and unrelentingly sunny, which is important for someone in the mortuary business. Hart Ralston is a hardened grump from years of hunting re-animated drudges (zombies) in Tanria, bringing the bodies back across the border for processing at funeral homes like Mercy’s. They hate each other. And both are deeply lonely. Hart, though, at one of his darker moments decides to pen a letter to an anonymous and as-of-yet nonexistent friend. When Mercy receives the letter, she has no idea who it’s from, but it’s clear he’s lonely, and she writes back, forging an anonymous friendship between these two enemies. Meanwhile, Mercy is working to save her family business and keep her family’s secrets, and Hart is trying to figure out why there are so many identity-less corpses reanimating.

This was the absolute cutest story. It tugged on my heartstrings. I sighed after nearly every chapter. The fantasy world of Hart & Mercy is well-developed, and the worldbuilding was strong. Not every aspect of the world is fully described, but Bannen leaves some of it to the reader’s imagination. I enjoyed the miscellaneous animals of Tanria, the Old Gods and the New Gods, the well-developed funerary system (I must be weird because funerary systems have been really intriguing to me in books recently). The pacing of the story kept me engaged, as the pressure from competing funeral homes and the increase in bodies provided a strong external plot to bolster the romantic storyline.

Many thanks to @plottrysts for the excellent buddy read!

I cried plenty of times while reading this, and as soon as I finished I wanted to read it again to experience those feelings all over. Put this book on your TBR! It comes out 8/23!
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for an eARC of this.

5-Star Read & 2 Spicy Peppers

I loved this! I can't tell you how much I loved this because I don't have words for grumpy/happy dynamics of this story. Mercy and Hart are two sides of the same coin - one collects the bodies and one sends them off with their final rights. An impulsive choice to write a letter and send it out into the world connects them via anonymity where they begin to develop a much needed friendship.

When this story starts, it doesn't ramp you up for the world change - it throws you in and lets you learn how to wade through this new environment that is rich with its own gods, beliefs and practices, and communities. Reading how the characters interact within this developed world was one of the best parts of this book.

This was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year! If you like enemies to lovers, found family, spirits, capitalistic plots, and happy ever after, then definitely check this out!

*Reviews will be added to social media and links will be shared closer to the publication date.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is an original and quirky enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance. Hart is a marshal that protects the magical wilds of Tania, and Mercy is single-handedly helping keep her family’s undertaking business afloat. It was hate at first sight for these two, until a letter changes everything. I have some mixed feelings about this book. It’s such a unique world but I do wish there had been more world building—there’s a lot of just contemporary real-world items that feel like they don’t fit in this fantasy world and I just wanted a little more world building because some of it felt so unique. Also, Mercy’s whole family drove me kind of crazy—Mercy loves and gives with just her whole heart and she deserved so much better. Also, I found myself getting a little frustrated with Hart—there’s some grump/sunshine vibes throughout and he was just a little too heavy on the grump for me at times. But there was a lot I did like too. First, I loved the letters and wish there had been more. The You’ve Got Mail vibes were just so great. And Mercy—she was wonderful. She has so much love and dedication and I just really rooted for her. She was just such a good person and I loved her journey to finding what she wants. Plus the chemistry with her and Hart was really good. They’re flirty and I loved the change in them as they grew from hate to love and Hart loves so fully too. These two are both so lonely in the start and I loved the story of their connection as it grew and allowed them both feel like they didn’t have to be alone. Plus their steam was greats The fantasy elements of Mercy’s business were so interesting too and I just really wanted more of it. It’s just so much more than a fantasy romance and really has a lot for everyone. This book is whimsical, emotional, fun, and sweet and a unique ride!

Absolutely the cutest zombie book we've ever read. Not a single word of that is written in irony. Not only is this a zombie book, it's an enemies-to-lovers epistolary romance set in a fantasy world that is just different enough from our own to make it wonderfully familiar and at the same time skewed. This is the first book in a long time that made us stay up past our bedtime to read. It's funny, it's cute, it makes you think about the inevitable mortality awaiting each human being's existence, AND there is some mild spice. Apparently it is exactly what we wanted to read right now.

Did we laugh? Yes. Did we cry? Also yes. Did we love this mashup of romance tropes and gaslamp-ish fantasy? DUH. This was a total book binge and we loved every second of it.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

5⭐️ 2🌶

I loved this book! It was a romantasy with great world building, enemies to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and secret pen pals. It had me laughing, crying and was so sweet at times my teeth ached.

Mercy’s family owns a funeral home where she takes pride in preparing those who have passed for their final journey. Her job often puts her in contact with Marshal Hart Ralston AKA Hart-Ache as Mercy likes to call him. They are enemies at first sight and he calls her Merciless.

Both are unhappy with aspects of their lives and one day Hart decides to write an anonymous letter to no one so he can acknowledge his loneliness. A meddling messenger delivers his letter straight to Mercy and they develop a close friendship via correspondence and things seem to be going well until Mercy wants to meet her mystery pen pal.

I really loved the world building in this book. I admit it took a little longer than I would have liked to get a full explanation about the gods, how this world was created, and their death rituals that seem to be a central focus of the society. But it was worth the wait.

This book was more than just a romance. There was a large character cast and I came to care deeply for each of them and their struggles. Many of them struggled with finding the balance between wanting to support their family and the business but also wanting to pursue what made them happy. It all made for a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

AAAHHHH I loved this so much! This was exactly what I needed in my life!

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is cozy fantasy meets You've Got Mail in the absolute best way. Enemies to lovers, endless banter, full of heart (or shall I say, Hart?) and incredibly hilarious--I mean, what else could you ask for? And don't even get me started on the nicknames. I loved everything about this, but the romance won me over more than anything else. Hart-ache and Merci-less were nothing short of swoon-worthy.

Slight spoiler here: I'm usually not a fan of one character dying and coming back to life at the end of fantasy books, but I didn't even mind in this case. In fact, I was nearly sobbing as Mercy and other major characters essentially paid vigil over Hart's dead body. It was even more emotional that Mercy was the one to clean and salt his body, since that's her job. UGH MY POOR HEART. Good thing this is a romance and an HEA is required, but BOY did Megan Bannen test me for a while there.

I desperately need more cozy, low-stakes Fantasy stories in my life and this fit the bill quite nicely. I can definitely see fans of TJ Klune devouring this. I'm so excited for more cozy fantasy romance books from Megan Bannen!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 2.5

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is basically You've Got Mail, except the characters are kind of pathetic and annoying.

The Studio Ghibli - esque world was cool, but it could've used some additional fleshing out.

4.5 stars

This was such an unexpected and entertaining novel. It took me a bit to get my bearings and understand what was happening in the fantasy world Megan Bannen created, but it was so imaginative and intriguing.

Things to look forward to:
- The tropes! Enemies to lovers, epistolary, opposites attract, workplace-ish romance, and forced proximity-ish romance.
- The world building! Like I said, it was a little confusing at first figuring out the rules and players in this world, but I loved how it all came together. I mainly listened to the audiobook, but I think this might have been easier if I had a map to reference (I believe one will be included in the final book).
- Hart and Mercy. These two definitely gave me pride and prejudice vibes and that unfortunate first meeting set them on a path of mutual disdain. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers moments, but the progression to more did feel a bit disjointed (since everyone wasn't on the same page at that point). Mercy and Hart were adorable together though and I might have swooned a time or two at how sweet they were. That epilogue left my heart so happy <3
-The spice! Mercy and Hart may have been sweet together, but they were also so hot! I was not expecting this book to be spicy at all, so I was very pleasantly surprised!
- Wonderful secondary characters and found family! I loved the Birdsall family, especially the sibling dynamic. Zeddie and Lilian, as well as Horatio and Baasareus, provided lots of comic relief.

The narration by Michael Gallagher and Rachanee Lumayno was so good! Rachanee Lumayno was perfect as Mercy. She captured Mercy's snark and sass so well, but also conveyed so much emotion. Fantasy novels are generally harder for me to listen to because of the intricate world building, but I really loved this one.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW: Grief, death of loved ones (past), fighting/violence, descriptions of: blood, stabbing, death, FMC's father had a heart attack (past), parental abandonment

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is going on my list of "Most Unexpected and Pleasantly Surprising Reads of the 2022" list. This book features enemies-to-lovers, secret pen pals, demigods and mythical creatures, an extremely tight-knit family unit, mystery, and so many other excellent elements. I loved everything from the weird world building that is saturated with mythology but also has a modern 1940s-50s vibe, to the fully realized characters who I would give my life for, to the messy and unglamorous occupation that is Undertaking and running a family business, and most importantly, the romance between Hart and Mercy.

When Hart and Mercy started writing anonymous letters to one another, I knew I was a goner. They were so vulnerable and honest and precious. I wanted to bottle up their words and keep them on my bedside table. I love how much of a sweet soul Hart is even though he initially comes off as grumpy and surly. I love that Mercy is so compassionate and caring of her family, but she's also stubborn and feisty. When these two finally get together, fireworks went off.... like, literally (IYKYK).

This book also did what few books have the ability to do for me, and that is it made me SOB. How dare it!! But I also loved that this book hooked its claws in me and bled me dry of every emotion. I know that I will be thinking about Hart and Mercy and this book for days on end. People are NOT going to want to miss this one when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and Megan Bannen for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy hits the shelves on August 23, 2022!

This is unlike any romance over ever read, and I think this is more of a fantasy with romantic elements. At times this felt deeply human and fragile, and at others it felt sterile and like I was kept at arms length. And there really isn't a driving plot here, more introspection into the two main characters individual lives and struggles.

I really wanted to love this but too many things felt off here. The pace dragged, and the romance went from enemies to bed buddies in a blink, which didn't suit the tone of the book at all.

This book was such an incredible and weird delight to read, I loved it so much. But it has a plot that’s hard to pitch well. Mercy is an undertaker, and Hart kills zombies and is required to take their bodies to specific funeral homes. The two hate each other from their very first meeting, which was a complete disaster. They both are intensely lonely and end up writing letters, into the void basically, and in a You’ve Got Mail – esque way, the letters create an anonymous relationship between the two. They begin to fall for each other, and without a clue they actively dislike the other in person… I think that captures everything.

The book has strong fantasy vibes with a rich world – I struggle right now with complex worldbuilding, and had zero issues with this one. This world has zombies, and gods, and a complex mythology around death. There are various creatures and different spaces Hart goes to that Mercy can’t. And to be honest I didn’t completely understand everything in this world, as there are parts the author includes but doesn’t explain such as equimares (an animal) and autoducks (vehicle), because they’re small pieces of the world and readers don’t need to understand every tiny piece.

Like any good romance should, the heart and center of the book is Hart and Mercy’s burgeoning relationship. Hart is just this grumpy person who has been doing this thankless job killing zombies for what feels like forever. He’s been solo for such a long time and wants to be left alone. His previous partner on the job has passed away, and he’s isolated himself even more from people he considered friends. Mercy works at her family’s Undertaking business, where she’s essentially keeping the entire company afloat. She’s keeping secrets for everyone in her family, but doing nothing for herself, and growing resentful in the meantime.

These two have so much in common, yet seem so far apart in their intense dislike for each other. They’re both incredibly lonely, even while being surrounded by people – dead or alive, in both cases. I’m a sucker for epistolary romance, and this book exemplifies why. We get their layers slowly peeled back with each letter, showing how much they have in common, yet still keeping them apart for a portion of the book. And the transition from letters to actual in person interaction was both a disaster and one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved how the author dealt with Hart’s discovery of who he’s been writing to this whole time. I’m not a fan of deception, but he does keep it from Mercy for a bit longer – and it worked for me. Both characters are tenderhearted with a hard outer shell and I was so invested in each phase of their relationship evolution.

This book is one that is also about death though, so take care in reading. I don’t think it takes the subject lightly at all. It approaches death compassionately and in various ways, as death is extremely meaningful in the book.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is quirky and weird and unique. The best comp I can come up with is one that other reviewers have used – the TV show Pushing Daisies. Both this book and that show felt different when reading/watching. I loved everything about this book from beginning to end – and I definitely cried, which is rare for me.

CW: death in various ways

Grade: A

RATING: 4/5 STARS

THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY is unlike any other book I've read! It's a blend of fantasy, romance, and a touch of horror. I enjoyed the eventful story, the supporting characters, and most of all the enemies-to-lovers arc between Hart and Mercy.

I saw so many rave reviews about this and it is totally worth the hype! I am not a big reader of fantasy but that wasn't the main draw of the story. This was such a unique story about taking care of the afterlife and I adore the enemies to lovers between Hart and Mercy. Part of their communication was done through letters and they were so open and vulnerable to each other. I also appreciated the supporting characters and the depth they fans to the story.