Cute, spicey, sweet and playful. This is my description of the book with its characters, plot and sthe story building. A book of romance genre, it had all of my heart. Lovely book!

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t think I was aware, going in, just how much of a romance this is lol! That was a surprise, but a fun one.

It’s got a lot of info dump world building at the start, so much so that I really wasn’t sure about it. But the characters really ending up selling this book to me. However, both sets have to grow on you! Mercy is fantastic throughout but all the family drama makes it hard to adore her family til slightly later on, which is a shame because they are totally adorable. Hart is harder to like at the start, but watching him soften up to Pen and reconnect with Alma and Diane is just lovely.

It’s also a full on spicy romance which I’m not sure I expected from a fantasy! Haha. I did like the world though, the concept is genius. Once you get past the info dumping, it’s more interesting and intriguing. Especially once you combine the mystery of the drudges increasing.

Something a bit different and a lot fun. 3.5 stars.

Fun, quirky and I absolutely loved it! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book early!

Wonderfully weird and whimsical, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a must-read for fans of Fantasy Romance. This gothic-ish/Tim Burton-ish book is such a breath of fresh air to the genre! If you are tired of reading the same rom-com over and over again, this book is definitely for you.

Hart is a serious, brooding, demigod marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange magical wilds of Tanria. Basically, there´s a portal that connects the world to Tanria - a mystical sort of "beyond the veil" plane, where lost souls tend to gather. The thing is, those who come to pass in Tanria might have lost souls trying to attach to their bodies, making them become the very dangerous halfdead drudges.

Mercy is only taking care of her father's business Birdsall & Son Undertakers until her brother is trained enough to take over. Only, sometimes, she thinks that day will never come. While she is struggling every day to keep the shop afloat, she still needs to deal with a very moody and grumpy marshal that has a tendency to demand a lot from her undertaking business.

However, Hart and Mercy do share one big secret. While the world and their daily lives keep them occupied they are both terribly lonely. When drudges start becoming more and more of a problem for both, they might just have the chance to put their differences aside and perhaps even build something together.

This book was intensively creative and wildly unexpected. There were tons of beautifully written moments, lots of funny and quirky characters, and a conclusion that left me in tears.

I cant' recommend this enough!

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a delightful fantasy rom-com that feels indulgent and fun with loveable characters and an addictive narrative. Following the characters of Mercy Birdsall, an undertaker with a normally sunny disposition but has antagonistic relationship with Hart Ralston, a grumpy Marshall who brings bodies to the undertaker. When Hart writes a letter to send into the void expressing his loneliness and frustration to the world he never expects anyone to write back, let alone his nemesis. Amongst undead adventures, family shenanigans and workplace conspiracies, will Hart and Mercy realise how they truly feel about each other, and more importantly themselves?!?

My favourite thing about this book was the family and friendships. I loved Mercy's family and Hart's mentor relationship with Duckers. All the scenes with the whole group together just felt so heart-warming and lovely. Mercy is keeping various secrets for different family members from the other and is feeling the pressure of this, as well as feeling like no one in the family really listens to her despite all the love they have for each other. Seeing Hart soften and care for Duckers was so cute and if you know me I am a complete sucker for the grumpy mentor dynamic. I also really loved the side relationship between Duckers and Zeddie - I hope they get their own book!!

I also really enjoyed the fantasy setting of this book. While I would say it is primarily a romance (in a similar vein to T Kingfisher's Paladins series) the world it takes place in was so cool. Set in this place called Tanria where a mysterious island in the centre of the city contains zombie possessed corpses that are collected and exorcised by Marshals (the job that Hart and Duckers have) and then the bodies are taken to undertakers to be cared for. The world also has demi-gods and the old gods who have gone missing which play a critical role in the story.

One of my favourite tropes in romance books is when characters who hate each other in real life have a secret pen pal relationship where they are great friends and this book delivers on that so well!! I loved reading Mercy and Hart's letters and the humorous but heartfelt tone was so fun to read.

Something I always love in books as well is anything surrounding/exploring death. I think undertakers are a really interesting profession and handle a very vulnerable time in life and I really enjoyed this aspect of the story. Birdsall and sons felt like such a caring family business and you were so invested in its success.

The only thing that kind of annoyed me about this was the completely stupid and petty misunderstanding between Mercy and Hart that resulted in a years long resentment. It made for good banter but I wish authors/publishers weren't so obsessed with enemies/hate to lovers as I feel like this book would have been just as good if Mercy and Hart didn't "hate" each other for no reason and honestly might have even been a little better.

Overall I would really recommend this, especially if you enjoy fantasy romance with a fun zombie invested world, a great cosy family vibe, a dash of smut and a reminder never to give up on your dreams!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute! Charming and fun with likable characters. It was a bit more of a romance book than I was expecting, with the walking corpse related plot little more than a backdrop, but I still enjoyed it. The spicy scenes were pretty good too. It reminded me a bit of Swordheart, but shorter and snappier.

My only criticism is the use of miscommunication to cause tension in the romance. That's never not annoying.

First of all I would like to thank you so much for giving me a free copy of this book via NetGalley.

As it happens it was also the July 2022 Fairyloot Adult book so I now have a stunning signed exclusive of this amazing story which I am thrilled about.

This is the best Adult book from Fairyloot I have read this year so far and that's really saying something.

I felt like I've learned a lot just from reading from the prospective of someone who works as an undertaker. This story was everything and more. I do love a romance story and I've not read one quite like this before.

It was unexpected at times I enjoyed it even more towards the end.

I absolutely LOVE the different characters and the amount of humour. There were times I felt a little laugh leave myself at words I'd read and my eyes were welling up at others.

I'm now wondering if this is a standalone?

I do feel a little frustration towards Mercy it was like she could do no wrong, I felt she went too hard and a little over the top. I had a lot sympathy for Hart and I absolutely love him and how he put himself out there.

This was just the sort of fun, lighthearted and cozy fantasy romance I needed to uplift my mood.

I loved the unique world and magic which was introduced in the book. It was subtle and blended quite well with the romance aspect of the story. The characters were pretty amazing and likeable and I absolutely adored the family dynamic and the found family aspect of the story.

Both the main characters Mercy and Hart are tough nut to crack. It's enemies to lovers and I thought the enemies part was done quite well. They were truly mean to each other at times and it caused some really sad miscommunication stuff between them. I did think that the transition from enemies to lovers could have been a little more slow burn but I still ended up enjoying the romance development a lot. They fell for each other hard and fast and it was just cute.

Apart from the romance development, Hart's and Mercy's individual development too was done quite well. Throughout the book they continuously struggled to understand their place in the world and by the end of the story they did manage to figure out what they wanted from their lives and from each other. I truly loved that.

I do think that the showdown with the villian could have been done better but, this book was just fun times and I had a great time reading it.

I absolutely adored this one! It's a very quirky, charming story that was a mix of You've Got Mail and The Walking Dead, I'd say this one has more of a romance-edge than a fantasy one so if you're looking for epic world building and big, gritty fights, you'll be out of luck. But if you happen to enjoy stories with adorable characters, demi-Gods with self-esteem issues and Undertakers with a passion for donuts, then this is definitely a book you'll enjoy.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is the story of Hart, a lonely marshall who spends his day stabbing zombies in the appendix, and Mercy, an Undertaker who has taken on an entire business by herself whilst her family is useless in giving her anything but added stress. Unfortunately for these two, they always meet when the other is at their worst, and it's caused their relationship to be very stained...to say the least.

After one such run-in, Hart finds himself writing a letter to 'A Friend'. A letter that strangely receives a reply, from someone who understands his loneliness and offers their emotional support. Soon a friendship is born--but little do either of the penpals know that they are baring their souls to the people they hate the most...

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's the perfect mix of romance and fantasy. The characters were all amazing, even the side characters were fleshed out and their antics will definitely bring a smile to your face. The world building and lore were simple and easy to understand, making this such a joy to read. It has such a refreshing take on death and I loved how much care Mercy took of other people's deceased loved ones.

The emotions were so clear right from the beginning. You really felt for Hart and his loneliness, how he'd closed himself off from everyone. And Mercy with her stressful situation, how she loved her family but they kept piling all this pressure on her and not listening to her wishes. The two of them really just needed a friend to talk to and I adored how they found that connection with each other. The character development in this book was my favourite aspect, how they learned to overcome their problems. And along with the super sweet romance and, of course, Hart, this has definitely become a new favourite. After all how could I not fall in love with a super-tall, endearingly adorable, demi-God? And to anyone who loves when characters give each other nicknames, you're in for a treat in this one.

All in all this was a super cute, romance-with-a-fantasy-flair and I am very much hoping Bannen writes more in this world in the future! I'll be sure to devour it!

Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a uniquely whimsical, You’ve Got Mail meets The Walking Dead-style rom-com that I absolutely ADORED! It’s full of humour, incredible world-building and has two of my all time fave romance tropes: grumpy/sunshine and enemies to lovers. If you love cosy (and just a tad macabre) adult fantasy rom-coms then you definitely need pick this up!

It’s set in a world full of magic and demigods and zombies and follows Mercy, sunshine personified who’s been single-handedly keeping her families’ Undertaking business afloat and Hart, a grumpy demigod Marshall, whose duty involves patrolling the magical wilds of Tanria and protecting people from the Zombie-like drudges who can possess the dead.

Their chosen fields lead Hart and Mercy into constant contact but despite the similarities the pair just despise one another. Until one day, after yet another run-in with Mercy, Hart pens 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 irritates him the most—Mercy. As the dangers in Tanria grow closer so do the unlikely pair, but can their blossoming romance survive the discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmare—each other?

I’ve been on a bit of a romance kick lately and this was absolute PERFECTION—it’s the perfect blend of fantasy and romance with tons of humour, whimsical characters and a love story I didn’t want to end!

Protagonists, Hart and Mercy really steal the show in every scene they share. I absolutely loved their snarky barbs to one another (and they really don’t let up) which were pure gold!

I loved the complexity, detailand depth to both Mercy and Hart’s characters, I loved how endearing they both were. Through Mercy we catch a glimpse of day to life, and the family drama and responsibilities that have shaped her, particularly her father and his failing health and her decision to single-handedly take on the family’s role of Undertaker. She’s a tough cookie and I really enjoyed watching how she navigates all the family tension (and awkward family dinners) as she struggles to save her families business, navigate her feelings for her anonymous pen pal and juggle a million little secrets the family are keeping from one another.

Hart, although grumpy at first appearance is just as soft hearted as Mercy is tough—but the loss of so many friends and family members as left him lonely and defensive, unwilling to meet new people for fear of losing them too. I feel Hart experiences the biggest emotional shift throughout the novel (I found myself literally sobbing through sveral of his later chapters) but it’s such a satisfying one.

Even though they start off disliking one another, you can really feel the chemistry between them—and their letters to one another are the sweetest and most epically adorable letters ever. Naturally given the You’ve Got Mail premise, the miscommunication trope is rife so do bare that in mind if it’s not a trope you enjoy.

Overall, a fairly lighthearted and charming fantasy, slice-of-life rom-com that I utterly devoured—though there is some really emtional scenes bearing the end so do keep some tissues handy.

Also, thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

I tried to avoid reviews of this books before heading in as they are very mixed. From the beginning I was confused, the world building was lacking and done gradually so you don't learn about the world and the creatures they are killing until much further into the story when Hart takes on an apprentice. This is not my preferred way to learn and read about a world in a book and it causes me to switch off or get annoyed.

Unfortunately due to this alongside the meeting of the main characters near the beginning, the mail lead was very objectifying to her body in a very cringe way for me and I couldn't finish the book and stopped at less than 20% in. Even the letters they are writing are very basic and unfortunately I couldn't connect to them at all which is a shame because the synopsis really got me intrigued and I love a enemies to lovers story with a conflict in the world i.e. zombies but this just didn't do it for me. I may pick it up in the future and try to finish it but for now it's a dnf.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Little Brown Books and Megan Bannen for the advanced copy of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy in exchange for my honest review.

I read this in one sitting and I was just so lost in the story I didn't even realise I hadn't moved from the sofa! I loved the relationship between Hart and Mercy, and the cast of supporting characters was just as fun. Pen and Zeddie, Lil and Danny, Alma and Diane and Pop... they were just so fun.

I loved the way the book danced between whimsical and macabre, and the drudges and the lore surrounding them was really quite an interesting take on the reanimated corpse trope.

I cried a few times during reading this, laughed a whole lot, and came away feeling like I'd made friends for life. I am wholehartedly (get it?) looking forward to re-reading this again soon.

3.5 stars. I had really high hopes for those book, unfortunately there was just something missing for me.
A really slow start, not enough world building and I feel so much missing. It was worth the read the end definitely saved it. Maybe I had too high hopes, would recommend anyone debating this book to give it a go still. It is a good story, just something missing for me.

Sweet and playful in concept and thoughtful writing, although there was a want of connection with the characters, which combined with the scant plotting. made for a relatively tepid read.

If quirky fantasy romance with you've got mail vibes, enemies to lovers trope and talking animals that are postal workers that hate everything (Bassareus, what a fantastic character) is your thing, this is definitely the book for you. I was invested in both main characters from the very beginning and then when the letters started being exchanged my interest ramped up even more. Through the letters we find out so much more about our main characters and this is where their character development reaches new depths.
The talking animals add the comedy factor to the story which keeps it refreshing and I found myself wanting them to be in it more and more as I read on.
The world building was also written so well with so many different quirks such as the human souls residing in the appendix and zombies that don't die by destroying the brain, but by destroying the appendix to release the soul! What an excellent way to make zombies new and exciting.
Incase you couldn't already tell, I loved this story. It had everything in it that I love but told in a completely new way. What a stunning debut!
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was like someone scraped about in the back cupboards of my brain and thought “what would Shanon like?” And came up with this. It’s You’ve Got Mail with soul stealing zombies, dead bodies and demigods. What is not to love about that? Absolutely nothing.
Mercy is single-handedly keeping her family undertaking business afloat while her little brother is supposedly studying to replace their father whose health has deteriorated. It is here she comes into contact with the aloof but annoyingly beautiful Hart who brings her dead bodies. Hart is a lonely Demi god who just wants to left to do his job but one night he writes a letter to a “friend” and send is out into the universe never thinking he will get a reply until one day he does.
Everything about this is so cute, even Hart and Mercy’s overalls, no one looks hot in overalls I don’t care what anyone says, they are made for toddlers but if anyone is going to pull them off it would be a Demi god. The world building was slightly sketchy and Mercy’s family were Drama but charming enough to not be overly annoying. This was really very good.

I really enjoyed this quirky and cute fantasy book it was exactly what I needed and I adored it immensely. Pick this one up and smile. You will not be disappointed.

Absolute perfection ❤️

I’ve just found one of my new favourite books of all time, I literally never wanted this to end. I kept looking forward to reading this book so much, I laughed, I cried and I always had the biggest smile on my face reading this.

The main highlight of this story is the characters. They are so lovable, but Hart and Mercy absolutely stole my heart. Their story was just so perfect, and I felt every bit of emotion with them. The world and fantasy aspects of the story were so refreshing, such simple and easy world-building, but done so right. It’s the perfect blend of fantasy and romance.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. I am so sad it’s over but so thankful I experienced such a lovely book.

Huge thanks to Little Brown Book Group UK for the eArc.

(review to be posted on GoodReads two weeks before release)

I will preface this review by saying that, overcome by the heat of the English summer, I did find myself reading this book in the very late/early hours of the night/morning (depending on how you look at it). Please therefore take all of this review with the pinch of salt that is 'it was 2am' and don't judge me if I get any details wrong.
This is a delightfully quirky fantasy romance featuring a warden (think a policeman but instead of dealing with crime he's dealing with a sort of zombie) and an undertaker. It's enemies to lovers but in a way that they don't feel like they actually despise each other, but it is more than annoyances to lovers somehow also.
I found the world building in this book to have just the right level of detail to give me a sense of how the world worked and what the magic was and so such while not bogging down this quite light story with infodumps. I liked the religious aspects to the story and it definitely felt as though you could tell other stories in this world without having to throw in too much more information. This is also a queer-norm setting which I always appreciate, somehow I appreciate it even more in a hetero romance because it just makes me feel like the author cares!
I loved the romance, I wasn't sure that I would initially as I didn't quite buy just how much the two disliked each other but I was willing to let it slide because before too long I was just hoping the two of them would get together.
This is the kind of book that I can see myself reading again in the future and having a little happy cry as I go - it's lighthearted but doesn't shy away from some of the spookier or darker aspects of the story and it also features a love of dogs which you know is going to make me want to read it even more!
If you're looking for a book to read in one sitting (whether that be at 1am or at a normal hour) I would definitely recommend seeking out a copy of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley all opinions are my own.

thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc!

There was a lot of hype surrounding this but I still went in with very low expectations (the marketing cough cough), even though <i>Soulswift</i> is one of my favourite standalones of all-time. I tried very hard to like this as much as everyone else but it fell short on so many counts. Number one being the main characters: Hart and Mercy. I just could not bring myself to believe they're 30 and above. They acted childish most of the time. I get we were expected to feel empathetic towards Hart but he was kind of a pitiful loser... Mercy was sunshine incarnate but her barbs were cutting and there really was no reason for her to be mean to Hart that much. The instant mutual hatred didn't make sense because there was no background story. If there was prejudice against demigods, then that wasn't explored at all. They save people so why... did Mercy hate them? Or did she? <spoiler>The hate-to-love was so instant especially knowing she wasn't aware Hart's the penpal. It just felt like she was giving back after he saved her idk</spoiler>

The only thing 'adult' about this were the sex scenes which were so out of the blue. Maybe language but kids curse these days. Anyway.

This is a romantic fantasy but the highlight was clearly the side characters. Pen and Zeddie had more chemistry and I looked forward to their scenes more. Mercy's family and the animal mailmen were so funny! Much needed respite.

The world wasn't developed well and my imagination did most of the work but the glimpses we got were interesting. Zombies and Marshalls and beaches. Loved the Mars Attacks! vibes which may have been all in my head.

Basing a book around tropes backfired and I hope this is a lesson to Not focus this much on tropes and letting them slide in the story naturally. Good marketing but not for the long- run.