Wow! What is not to love about this novel? The cover? Excellent! The storyline? Brilliant! The whole execution of it? Fabulous!
It’s weird, it’s unique, it’s quirky. It’s absolutely everything I want and desire in a fantasy book.
Really enjoyed this one, it starts off well and just keeps getting better. I found myself smiling whilst reading this and that’s when I know it’s got me hooked and engrossed. Perfect!
Thank you so much for allowing me the arc. I will, without a doubt, be recommending this book.

I liked this, but I didn't love it - which seems to be the story of my life at the moment. I'm not sure if it was the lack of chemistry I felt between the two love interests or the fact that most of the plot is developed through letters between the two that stopped me from really getting into this, but I will say that I did enjoy Mercy's relationship with her family. I guess everything was just... OK. Nothing really stirred any great emotion in me, I wasn't blown away by the world or plot. It was just... fine. And perhaps that's the biggest problem.

Part weird western, part enemies to lovers romance, part zombie apocalypse story, this was sweet and unique. The humour was very warm and I really enjoyed the world building. This was a charming light read.

3.5/5

I did not know what to fully expect going into this book, but I had heard great reviews of it. I really enjoyed the world building and the character descriptions. I loved the interactions of Mercy and her family. I did feel like it was two different books though, with the first half having a completely different vibe to the second.

Aaah this book was soooo good. I loved this reimagining of You’ve got mail in a fantasy world with zombies and zombie hunter mashalls. You would imagine the setting of an undertaker’s office in a fantasy world with zombies would be depressing but Megan Bannen manages to fill the book with so much life! I enjoyed the correspondence between Hart and Mercy and the unique, highly entertaining mail delivery system, their chemistry in the second half of the book and all the side characters (I could read about their shenanigans all day long and never get bored). It gave me a very found family sorta feel even though half the characters were actual family members 😂. If there’s one thing I did not like in this book, it’s how the physical relationship started between the two characters. From one character’s pov it was understandable but from the other character it seemed abrupt and did not really make sense. Other than this one factor bugging me, the rest of the book was absolute perfection. I definitely cried at the end and ended up realising that cozy fantasies are my newest favourite genre in fiction. Would definitely recommend!!

3.5/5

Thanks to Orbit and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. I will admit that it took me at least 25% to not be continuously frustrated with the world, and 50% to be truly invested - but this may be because I tend to struggle with fantasy standalones. Having said that, this is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s a fantasy romance with light-hearted vibes and cosy family gatherings, juxtaposed with the macabre nature of being an undertaker; the dangers of a world determined by multiple gods; and heavy topics of grief, guilt and loss.

For a good chunk of this book I was frustrated with the world building and I just couldn’t get on board. It all felt a bit too whimsical for me (which isn't an objective flaw, it's just not really my thing) and at times it felt explained in rushed way. However, the characters really got me invested in this story. Not just the love interests, but Mercy’s family and Hart’s friends were all a joy to spend time with. I loved the interactions between all the characters and the budding romance so much that I began to appreciate the unique world more, and really imagine it from their perspective, even if it isn’t my preferred type of fantasy setting. I even shed a few tears towards the end which was totally UNEXPECTED.

I don’t ultimately know how to rate this. At the start it was a two star, then it became a solid three, but ultimate enjoyment makes me feel like this should be a four. In the end I have gone with 3.5 stars as I think that accurately reflects the fun I had with this book, but also the drawbacks for me.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded down

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group/Orbit and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I did really enjoy this book, the premise was interesting and I did really like both MCs.

I suppose what didn’t make it an outstanding read for me was that the world building wasn’t as full as it could have been to fully immerse me in the world. I do realise however that this was a character driven rather than plot driven book, and I would definitely recommend it to

A well written, entertaining, and unusual fantasy rom-com. I never read a fantasy rom-com before and thoroughly enjoyed this one.
The characters are likeable and fleshed out, I rooted for them and hoped for the best. I liked the world building and the storytelling.
I want to read other books by this author as I enjoyed this one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

One of my favorite books of this year so far. Enemies to lovers, miscommunication but ultimately a sweet romance.

Thought I was going to have my own heart broken at one point but it worked out. If it hadn't I probably would have cried! Would recommend this book!

My Rating: 4.5/5
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This book was an absolute delight and I’d recommend to read it in fall or winter. It was a balm to my soul, reminding me that we need to live a little more- for us and for the ones that matter-before we run out of time.
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Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me the eARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a sweet and funny fantasy romance. It had enemies to lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes which I enjoyed! The character were well written and likeable. I just over all thought this was a unique fun fantasy and definitely recommend!

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a true ‘romantasy'; a bit of an enemies to lovers tale, set in a weird and wonderful fantasy world. Having said that it isn’t like any fantasy romance I’ve read before, no quests, fae or lost royalty. The storyline felt more like a romance with only really the setting revealing the fantastical elements. There is also a mystery element to the story which centres around those fantasy features.
The story is told through the point of view of both Mercy, an upbeat, vintage loving, undertaker, and Hart, a grumpy, friendless, marshal, and a demigod. The two characters start off loathing each other, and the bickering between them is fantastic. The romance that develops is so sweet and had me grinning like a loon and hugging the book to my chest.
After the halfway point, the mystery in the story takes a bit more of a primary focus. This is compelling and intriguing, not just the mystery itself but also working out the intricacies of this fantasy world. This is the only point that I felt needed something, a map or a glossary at the beginning would have really helped me visualise everything my brain sometimes tripped over. It wasn’t enough to detract from the story though, and didn’t even hinder me enough to lose that five star magic this book definitely had.
I absolutely loved this book, the characters are wonderful and the story had be laughing and crying. A definite five stars from me, and I can’t wait to read it again!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for offering me an arc of this book.

3.5*

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is an entertaining romantic fantasy, with some genuinely funny laugh out loud and endearing moments.

This is a book in which I enjoyed the side characters the most; Duckers by far was my absolute favourite and his interactions with Hart were some of the best scenes: from their work relationship to their friendship. The nimkilim (talking animals who deliver mail) were sassy and fantastic, particularly Bassareus, and a great addition to the quirkiness of this world.

For the most part I found the worldbuilding intriguing and fun, but I was also confused by it and would have liked more explanation to understand it better and more description to gain a better feel of the world to fully immerse in it. However, the concept of the marshalls, the drudges and their origin was cool.

The main element of this story is the romance and sadly I didn’t feel as invested as I’d hope because I didn’t feel grounded in the foundations of the dislike between Hart and Mercy, and it felt like unnecessary conflict, especially as neither of them knew or remembered why they had any animosity against the other. Even though Mercy and Hart knew each other, their romance also felt rushed and not merited, and I wish there was more to the breakdown of their animosity rather than the solo event. However, I liked the letter element of this book and getting to know Hart and Mercy through them and the fact that they could express themselves through them, but I was also expecting deeper development and emotionally it felt a little superficial.

Overall, this book was a fun, enjoyable read and would appeal to anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really loved this book. It was sweet, funny, thoughtful and sensitive, and I loved the characters of both Hart and Mercy. Enemies to lovers is always a really fun trope when done well, and this was certainly done well. The underlying plot about Tanria was also compelling and the supporting characters were great. I think this will be a new comfort read!

I will preface this by saying that fantasy romance isn't my usual cup of tea, however, I have been known to enjoy fantasy romance from time to time. Since the story contained one of my favourite configurations of romantic tropes (Grumpy x Sunshine) I decided to give it a go.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy follows Mercy, who works as an undertaker at Birdsall & Sons, where her father has been unable to manage due to his failing health. Hart, on the other hand, is a marshal whose job involves patrolling Tanria, where the Old Gods were once banished, and where dredges exist to do harm to others.

Due to the nature of their jobs, Mercy and Hart are often forced to interact with each other, and they hate each other, seeming to set each other off on sight, and this has been true from the moment they've met. However, through their narratives, we can tell that they are both similar, if not for the ways they view the world, for how they live: both are lonely and consumed with their work.

I enjoyed the light but detailed narration, where the revelations are crafted well to serve the character arcs, supporting rather than overwhelming the story. The side characters, too, were entertaining, and I loved Pen and Mercy's messy, loud family. The letters worked well in the story as well, and I appreciated that it didn't take up too much of the story, rather they served as a device for us to learn more about Mercy and Hart's interior lives and how they could begin to relate to each other.

Some things that I wished I could like more were Mercy and Hart themselves, because some of their behaviour seemed a bit immature or inconsistent, and I didn't love how their conflict was drawn out unnecessarily, seemingly because both are entirely too proud to actually communicate with each other. Hart, I can understand, but Mercy should have a better grasp of the situation than she seemed to in the book. I was also thrown off by how they got together so quickly, since the enemy-to-lovers dynamic seemed to shift so quickly, where bad behaviours were explained away simply by saying that one had loved the other this whole time, and the other completely changing their perspective on the first after a near-death experience. It was so abrupt that I found it unbelievable, and this stayed with me for a good portion of the story afterward.

Overall, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was an entertaining read, I just wish the romantic elements of the story worked better for me. As a cosy fantasy standalone, it was uncomplicated and easy to read, and the story was unique and refreshing.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley to provide me with this book.

I really enjoyed reading it from the beginning. I liked Hart and I liked Mercy. Both have been described very well and funny by the author. I have never read such a great romance like this book had. In between you can find old gods and weird creatures. All very well described as well. I liked how Hart and Mercy wrote letters to each other. It was so cute.

It was very easy to get into the story. It has been written very well and was an easy on going story. Its definitely not the last book by this author I have read. This was a clearly 5* stars read for me and I can recommend this to all fantasy and young aldult book lovers. Its a beautiful mix between fantasy and romance.

Because I liked the book cover so much with its colourful dustjacket, I have now decided I need this book as a special edition in my shelf and bought a copy from fairyloot recently.

I’m not really sure where to start with this review…

This was the cliche “tale of two halves” - the first half of the book was quite honestly, pretty boring and extremely confusing! Whereas the second half, whilst still a bit confusing, was so much better and I really enjoyed it.

I’ll start with the first half. I was very tempted to DNF. I didn’t because I was reading an advanced copy, otherwise I probably would have. I really liked the idea and quirkiness of the story, but nothing much had happened up to that point, which I could have accepted if there had been lots of world building and some explanation of the weird and wonderful elements (what the heck is an autoduck??) but that didn’t happen either. The pen pal element was mildly interesting and I really loved Duckers but other than that I wasn’t overly invested in the story or main characters up to that point.

However once the book got going, I really enjoyed it. I loved the banter between the different characters - Hart and Duckers, Hart and Mercy, Mercy and Lil. These relationships brought the book to life and I found myself speed reading through the second half. Although some of the elements were still confusing, (autoduck anyone?? I’m imagining a submarine type car but really who knows!!), the storyline began to take shape and the romance between Hart and Mercy was quite sweet.

Overall, this definitely had the potential to be a 5 star read for me but for that to happen the whole book needed to be more like the second half, or there needed to be more descriptions to help explain some of the fantasy aspects and keep me engaged. As it is, it didn’t quite live up to the interesting concept, therefore I’m rating it 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Little, Brown Book Group UK - Orbit) for providing a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

5*'s. The vibes of this book are immaculate. The fantastical world that is slowly explained without being informed-dumpy - check. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic with a side order of grumpy mentor and I only like your dog - check. The you've got mail inspiration was everything I love that film so much even if in my heart I know I should hate the corporate behemoth! Thankfully Hart was not subject to the terrible capitalist nonsense of Tom Hanks and I loved him! Mercy was also great and I loved seeing her come into her own! Hart-ache and Mercy-less forever! Also I loved Pen but Zeddie grated on me for a lot of this book! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an early copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

It's only September, so I suppose this could change, but I'm calling it now. This is my favourite book of 2022. I may now be Megan Bannen's biggest fan. She has completely won my soul and I would become a drudge to get more stories in this world.

I adore this book. I adore Mercy and Hart and their families and the world-building, the lore!! The lore is so unique. Who would have thought a western-inspired, vaguely apocalyptic, zombie-esque, yet sort of 60's inspired, with a hint of the American funeral industry world would be so fantastic, and work so seamlessly? The mythology is so developed, detailed, and eplained to us cleverly and deftly throughout the novel, with no info-dumps or boring exposition. The invented religion of the New Gods is fantastic; it slightly mirrors religions from our world whilst being its own thing entirely. It doesn't seem to be based off any one mythos, and has a distinct flair coming from Bannen.

And there are giant anthropormorphic animal postpeople who are sassy and fashionable and amazing. Literally what more could a book give me?

AND MERCY AND HART. They are complex, developed, detailed, and wonderful characters. I fell in love with both of them and their relationship. Completely sweet, spicy, fun and heartfelt all at the same time. All the supporting characters from Pop, Zeddie, and Lilian to Duckers, Alma, and Diane were all wonderful additions with their own developed storylines. I loved them.

This book is everything. It is a perfectly crafted, romantic, sexy, hilarious, sci-fi, fantasy read with enemies to lovers, a mystery, bittersweet moments, found family and real family, zombies, and a takedown of corporate funeral homes (someone recommend this book to Caitlin Doughty ASAP). I literally could not love it more and I cannot think of a single reason why someone would dislike it.

If you are a human or human-ish creature, you will enjoy this book, and you should read it so we can all bask in Megan Bannen's glory.

A thousand stars.

I never knew I needed this book as much as I did, this is just so fantastic, I laughed, cried, cried so much I would forget wether happy or sad crying ! This is such a wonderful blend of fantasy, humour and the macabre, that you won’t want to put it down

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion .