BOOK REVIEW: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
2022 Publication Date: August 23

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Best Books By Genre | Adult Fantasy
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2022

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
Sometimes the answer is standing right in front of you...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
What are my favorite reasons for reading Adult Fantasy books? Let me count the ways... But my number one reason may be how reading the best fantasy novels stretches my brain to think beyond what I have become accustomed to.

You must throw away the rule book of what you know to be the standard rules for how we exist in this world — whether how our physical bodies work, our societal rules, our governmental laws, or even the laws of nature — all of it has to go out the window.

And you must learn to adapt to the new fantasy world-building of the story...

This is exciting stuff, folks!

Because once we can learn to build new worlds in our imaginations, we can learn to build new worlds in our actual existing one. The clouds can part to show us solutions or answers that are often hiding in plain sight right in front of us.

This theme is mirrored both in the epic fantasy genre of this book as well as the romance of our two protagonists, Hart and Mercy.

What is the vibe here? Brace yourself... Imagine if You've Got Mail and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had a book child... And there you go!

Perfect for readers who are not afraid to go where no one has gone before... Even from their reading chair...

With sparkling dialogue. One-of-a-kind characters. And a good dose of humor... Place this stellar read on your best adult fantasy novels reading list!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 449
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Sub-Genre: Action Adventure | Hidden Identity Romance | Steamy Romance
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️
Time Period: 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Location: Tanria (Fantasy)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton (Dangerous Damsels | Book 2)
Movie: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Marshal Hart is tasked with patrolling and protecting the magical and dangerous wilds of Tanria, where the residents are at constant risk of attack from soul-seeking drudges who seek to inhabit their bodies... He's lonely and often isolated from the very people he protects.

Mercy is a woman who has dedicated her life to keeping her family's undertaker business afloat after her father's health begins to fail. Although the business is intended to pass to her brother, Mercy is the one who loves the business. But she's constantly busy and doesn't have time for anything else.

Especially the annoying visits of Marshal Hart who drops off new "customers"... But always rubs Mercy the wrong way... The feeling is mutual.

Another mutual fact? They're both secretly writing letters to an anonymous pen pal... Hmmm...

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a charming and unique adult fantasy novel romance with a thrilling action-adventure storyline that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION:
• It's important to be open-minded when learning about new worlds, whether in a book or real life.
• First impressions are often not accurate and it's important to get to know someone before judging them.
• Our power of imagination can help us solve problems in the real world.

BOOK QUOTE:
"This was a letter to a person he never intended to meet. That was the beauty of it. He could be completely honest... He would be exactly who he was..." — The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy | Megan Bannen

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I really loved this—Megan Bannen’s unique and absorbing fantasy romance boasts wildly imaginative worldbuilding and gloriously complicated characters. It’s the first M/F romance I’ve read where I identified most with the male lead; Hart’s story has something of a Mandalorian quality. It’s a weird, fun, affecting breath of fresh air. Gratitude to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the arc.

This sounded like everything I usually like but I could never quite find my footing in the story and I'm not quite sure why. Not for me, but I can see how it would be someone else's cup of tea.

I've seen and heard tons of buzz about The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen, so when I was approved for an ARC via NetGalley, I was thrilled!

I just finished it, and I'm even more thrilled.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy takes place in an alternate world from what we're used to, one in which mailmen are nimkilim, animals that walk and talk as humans do, the human soul resides in the appendix, oh, and if you die with your appendix in tact, lost souls can reanimate you. Ya know, fun things.

Our main characters are Hart Reston, Tanrian Marshal and total babe, and Mercy Birdsall undertaker (and also total babe). Hart's job is to keep these zombies (or, as they call them, drudges) at bay, killing them and destroying the appendix of the poor corpse they've possessed, then deliver the body to an undertaker for blessings, incantations, preparation for burial, and sending the body off to the Salt Sea.

There's one problem with these two and their related jobs: they have to see each other regularly, and they've hated each other from day one. Enemies to lovers, anyone?

I've seen a lot of people compare this book to the feeling that Howl's Moving Castle gives, and that may be true, but as a self proclaimed You've Got Mail fangirl, this book made my heart pitter patter with all the Shopgirl x NY152 vibes. "If you don't like Kathleen Kelly, you're not gonna like this girl." But if you DO like You've Got Mail, you'll LOVE this book.

I'll admit it took a few chapters to pull me into the story, mostly because the world building was a bit challenging. The terrain and surroundings of the world are never really described in detail, so it's hard to know exactly what everything looks like. I pictured Eternity, the town Mercy calls home, to be kind of a wild-west desert style place, with sandy cliffs overlooking the sea, while Tanria was more of a plush forest--but I could be completely off of what the author intended. I even tried searching Pinterest for The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy aesthetic boards to get into the world a little more, but didn't find any. Thankfully, the story picked up fairly quickly and I was hooked! (Also, it's explained that for those, like me, who have lost their appendix, a temple votary has to preserve the soul in a spirit vessel inked on their skin...so I guess I need to get on that ASAP lest my soul be lost forever!)

I laughed, I cried (A LOT), and I lived for Duckers, who was so reminiscent of Ansel Diggory from Serpent and Dove that it made my Hart-ache (see what I did there?!) in the best way every time we were with him.

Last but certainly not least: this is totally a book for dog lovers. It sounds odd, but just...trust me and read it. If you're a dog lover, you'll feel it.

It’s You’ve Got Mail meets Walking Dead meets Sixth Sense.

‘If this letter finds its way to you, I hope it makes you feel less lonely, and maybe less alone, too. In the meantime, I remain, Your friend.’

I did enjoy this cozy fantasy romance and found the story very sweet. The characters were relatable, sometimes annoying but some are delightfully lovable like Penrose Duckers and funny. The epistolary part was a wonderful touch but having an proud old owl and foul-mouth rabbit as messengers were absolutely hilarious.

This book covered everything from death, grief, religion, LGBTQ, Bipoc, and great family support. This is my first book from the author and definitely not my last.

Perfect.

I loved it. So much so I ordered my own copy because I know I want to reread this one again.

Exactly what I want in a fantasy romance. You've Got Mail is my favorite romcom, the enemies to lovers pen pals is just the best way for two people to fall for each other. Just two big ol hotties who are acquainted with death. I seriously loved that Hart and Mercy were both so tall.

Mercy's family dynamics were so believable and relatable to me. Since I am also that daughter who holds onto everyone's burdens until I snap at everyone. Hart's found family is also very believable and reminds me of people I have in my own life.

The characters, the setting, the humor, and adventure, all of it was Chef's Kiss for me.

Just the perfect amount of spice for me as well.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic world-building in this book! I was immediately drawn in. Hart and Mercy were wonderful together, and I loved the supporting characters as well.

This book was such a delight that I think I’ve finaly admitted to myself that I enjoy cosy romances, this one with a dash of darkness of course.
In this book we follow our two main characters, Hart and Mercy, who haven’t liked each other since day one when Hart showed up with a body for Mercy to prepare for the afterlife. Hart is a Marshal tasked with keeping the small town safe from drudges, or lost souls reanimating the dead in Tanria. Mercy is the daughter of a family of undertakers who have prepared bodies for the afterlife for years, and she has been trying to run the business basically solo for a good while now.

They are both dealing with their loneliness in different ways, and I really enjoyed seeing their individuality shine through as we got to know them. They end up becoming penpals without knowing they’re writing to each other, so they get to know each other in an unusual way that I haven’t seen done before. There is also an overarching mystery of why the drudges are becoming so numerous and seemingly more aggressive out in the wilds of Tanria, which keeps our plot moving along with the romance.

Overall (TLDR)
I truly adored it. I highly recommend it if you are looking for the following:
-Small town vibes
-Hate to love romance
-Cosy family moments
-Magic and mystery
-Secret pen pals
-Afterlife discussion

I had a really great time with it, and ended up getting the Fairyloot edition which includes some really adorable character art which I loved too! I think I’ll be revisiting it in the future and keeping an eye out for Bannen’s future works!

I don't know how to even begin to adequately describe what I just read. What I do know is that I laughed, I cried, I sat catatonically as I pondered what I was getting myself into.

This book was magical realism at its finest. Despite the talking animals, the MANY dead bodies, the zombies, etc. etc. there was still something so relatable about it. The romance between Hart and Mercy was the ideal enemies to lovers trope come true, and plopping that in the middle of such fantastical happenings was just pure magic.

This cover is truly what drew me into the book, and I'm so glad it did because it perfectly captured the beauty of what lays inside. A bit of love in the midst of chaos and death... and a whole lot of colorful magic.

Everything you could want in a cozy, funny, irreverent fantasy book.

I have to say I feel so LUCKY this year. It seems like I’ve gotten to read so many five star books this year and this book is definitely one of my favorites so far!

This book has everything I could have possibly wanted in a fantasy romance novel.

Enemies to lovers trope
Mature protagonists (I’m kind of over YA)
Hilarious anthropomorphic sarcastic mail carriers
Adorable lazy dog
Tasty food
The plot itself reminds me a LOT of the old movie A Shop Around the Corner. Pen-pal’s who actually hate each other in real life but find connection through their letters. Only the characters are so much more likable in this book than in that movie (Jimmy Stewart notwithstanding). I admit that it is not one of my favorite movies, but the idea is great.

I particularly loved Hart himself. What a great character! I wasn’t tricked by his gruff exterior … I think he’s a bit of a cinnamon roll and his journey of personal growth was very heartwarming. The book is also deeply philosophical about family, how we value our contributions in life, and how/whether we come to an acceptance of our own mortality. It reminded me of the last few episodes of The Good Place, a show that I found to be incredibly life affirming and positive. I really value what that show and this book has to say about coming to a place of acceptance and peace surrounding the eventuality we all have to face. Don’t worry though, there are enough fun times in the book to ameliorate the tough subject matter. I know that I will be rereading this book again in the future and I have a feeling it will become a true comfort read.

I hope you will give this one a chance, it’s well worth your time.

I was definitely pulled into this one by the cover but the story is not what I was hoping for. It was modern and quirky when I would’ve preferred something a bit darker, given there are bones in the cover. But the author did have beautiful writing.

What an absolutely whimsical joy this book was. I loved the banter with the characters, the fantasy romance premise, and the love story of the MCs. The fact that Horatio is based on Moira Rose really sold me on the book! The character development of Hart toward the end of the book was a very refreshing change from typical romance books that tend to have a male MC in desperate need of some therapy. I loved this one so much I purchased a copy the second I finished it!

Synopsis:
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?

The undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a new fantasy romance by Megan Bannen. I wanted to love this book so much, but I feel like I went into it with certain expectations and was let down when they weren’t met. The comparison to Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, a movie that I am a huge fan of, was very misleading. I personally did not see the connection there, but unfortunately I read a review with that description before reading it myself and so I went in with that in mind. While I loved a lot of pieces of this story the book as a whole just didn’t do it for me. I felt the world building was really lacking. I constantly felt like I was floating in space in regards to where the story takes place and how the world worked. Also there were a few instances where the characters use or mention things that exist in the real world and those details threw me right out of the fantasy story, like when it’s suggested to Hart he play Parcheesi.The book followed a pretty classic enemies to lovers dynamic for the MCs Hart and Mercy. I found this part of the story really sweet and I enjoyed reading the development of their relationship. Mercy was my favorite character. I loved that she was a female undertaker and I really enjoyed the in-depth details about how bodies were prepared before being moved to their final resting place. She was so passionate and put her heart into everything she did, including falling in love with one of the grumpiest men, I think, in literature. I obviously don’t have to love every book for someone else to love it and if you’re looking for a different kind of fantasy romance this book is for you! I want to thank Orbit books and Netgalley for the chance to read this digital ARC. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is available now!

A book involving zombies, familial trauma and so many dead bodies has no right being this adorable. It’s weird and impossible to categorize, but it’s ultimately an enemies-to-lovers romance that delighted me to no end.

“Most people start with hello.”
“Hello, Hart-ache,” she sighed.
“Hello, Merciless.”


After her father’s heart attack, Mercy’s taken on the lion’s share of work at her family’s undertaking business. Trying to keep it afloat is hard enough, but dealing with Hart, the Tanrian Marshal who frequently drops off dead drudges – basically zombies – is an additional annoyance she’d gladly do without. Even if he is super tall and handsome. Hart has nothing outside his job – not even an apartment. In a fit of loneliness, Hart pens a letter, which gets posted…. and winds up delivered to Mercy. Mercy finds herself empathizing with the lonely stranger and writes back, sharing her own struggles. Before they know it, they’re each having the most honest conversations of their lives with an anonymous stranger. But will meeting in person ruin their tenuous relationship?

Mercy’s a lonely ball of sunshine. It’s clear from the beginning how much Mercy loves her job and how seriously she takes the responsibility of preparing the dead. Besides the business, Mercy’s also the family confidante – everyone’s told her secrets that she has to keep from the other family members. But who’s there for Mercy? Even in the middle of her big bustling family, she’s lonely. Hart’s cantankerous and grumpy and downright mean to Mercy (though she’s just as rude back). But he also adores dogs. In fact, the only good thing about having to visit Mercy’s business is getting to see her dog Leonard, who adores him right back. While I loved Mercy, it’s Hart who really shines in this book because of his excellent character arc. The slow realization of how isolated he’s made himself because of his trauma, and what he’s willing to do to change, is heartaching and lovely.

“Guess you and Marshal Ralston aren’t best friends?”
Mercy put a sudsy hand to her chest. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
“How did that start?”
“It didn’t start. It was, is, and will always be an infinite loop of fated and mutual dislike.”


The lure of an epistolary romance was what first drew me to this book. While there aren’t that many of them, the letters are truly lovely and serve as a good way to understand each character and see how similar they really are. They’re both so terribly lonely and seeing them find another kindred soul was so comforting. The relationships, and not just the romantic ones, were what made this book really shine. Watching Mercy and Hart go from their no-holds-barred verbal feud (with a large heaping of attraction) to actually listening to each other was *chef’s kiss.* Watching Hart open up to his bouncy new trainee, and attempt to restore his friendship with his ex-partner, was adorable. And watching Mercy interact with her family, who love her so much but don’t seem to understand her, was bittersweet. The world-building, while initially a bit confusing, was amazingly inventive. It’s sort of the wild west, but there’s also talking rabbits that deliver the mail. It’s weird, but once you get the hang of it, it’s the perfect setting for the story.

“Most people seal themselves off from death, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re all joined together by this single thread.”


Overall, yet another book to add to my comfort reread pile, and another author added to the auto-buy pile!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Megan Bannen’s latest novel is a slow-burn romance between an undertaker’s daughter and a curmudgeon Marshall. The book takes place on another world entirely where spirits inhabit dead bodies and the New gods have reshaped the world.

I ended up liking Mercy and Hart. The supporting characters are also good. Dunkers was probably my favorite. Certain plot points didn’t always keep my attention while others fueled the plot for last half of the book. I could see this being adapted into a Netflix Tv show or movie. I’d watch it.

I’m giving it 3.5 stars rounding up to 4 out of 5. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

five stars! ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ the way this might be my favorite book of 2022 🤧 i don’t even know where to start with how much i loved this. the characters? so entertaining to read about (loved each and every side character) and how hart and mercy were both so incredibly flawed and realistic. i related to them on soooo many levels and it was kind of shocking how much i saw myself in mercy’s character. but i absolutely adored them, and their relationship, so much.

the secret/anonymous pen pal trope is definitely underrated, i feel, and usually i’m not a fan of it when one person knows who the other is, but it definitely worked in this instance, i thought. like, the fact that hart wrote his first letter when he needed a friend and it managed to find its way to mercy? that alone saves every issue i had with this book (not that i really did anyways, but you get the gist)

did i understand the whole world building and drudge and gods stuff? not entirely, but honestly that didn’t stop me from loving the concept. this was definitely a very unique choice in setting, but it worked! it was a really interesting aspect to the story and i can safely say it’s one of the most unique romances i’ve personally read in awhile. the whole demigod thing, too, just added another layer to everything (iykyk) i’ve seen comparisons to ‘howl’s moving castle’ and honestly i can agree with that. i think mercy is such a sophie hatter coded character and there’s a lot of aloofness and just ridiculous moments that happen that you just can’t help but love.

i think my favorite part of this novel was the writing, though, because it had some of the simplest quotes that just obliterated my heart with the context. like, i am 100% buying a physical copy of this as soon as i can so that i can annotate it, and i just know that when i do i’m gonna be highlighting almost every paragraph in this book. it has some of the most hartfelt (hah) quotes and moments and god i can’t wait to reread this already.

i’m so happy i finally got around to picking this up, and i would definitely recommend this book to literally anyone. i’m going to be talking about it nonstop now! <3

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is the perfect romance-fantasy mashup. This isn’t a romantic subplot within a fantasy novel, but a standard romance novel with a fully developed fantasy world built around it.

Megan Bannen takes popular tropes - enemies to lovers, grumpy vs. sunshine - mixes in some family drama and tops it off with a slimy villain. And demigods. And immortal talking animals that work for the postal service.

This book is “You’ve Got Mail” but with zombies.

If you’re like me, and fantasy is your favorite genre, but you also enjoy the occasional Emily Henry or Christina Lauren, you will love this book. If you liked The Dead Romantics, but wished it had more fantasy, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy needs to be high on your TBR.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for access to this eARC.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It was emotional, interesting, saucy, romantic, and just an all around good time.

Mercy is an undertaker, and Hart is a marshal who patrols for possessed dead bodies. Their first meeting goes a lil off the rails, so they butt heads whenever they see each other. One day, Hart drops a letter in the mail addressed only to “a friend”. It ends up in Mercy’s hands, and she answers.

The amount of times I teared up in the middle of this book instead of just the end is truly impressive. And I mean that as the highest compliment. I think it’s a hard balance to strike between an emotional romance and a funny one. And this just hit both notes so well.

As well as having strong main characters, the entire list of side characters are fully fleshed out and a delight to read. The premise is kinda You’ve Got Mail plus a western plus whatever your favorite zombie movie is.

I loved every second of this book.

A magical romance that I had some fun reading and definitely like the characters for this one. Got me curious about the author's other work after reading it.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set in a fantastical world with reanimated corpses, demigods, and witty mythical creatures. One of the protagonists, Mercy, is struggling to keep her father’s undertaking business afloat. Our second protagonist, Hart, is a demigod who patrols for possessed corpses, killing them and delivering them to undertakers. The two start off loathing each other but a happy accident leads to them exchanging a series of anonymous letters. Through their blind correspondence, they get to know each other and form a deep connection. There are a few bumps along the way but eventually they realize who they’ve been writing to all along and sparks fly.

The protagonists and supporting characters were lovable, hilarious and compelling. Everyone felt like family—the town was like a magical Stars Hollow. I adored Hart and Mercy’s relationship, they had so much respect for one another and thoughtfully explore grief, love, life and death together. If you want swoon-worthy sweetness, passion and an intriguing fantasy world, this is the book for you