The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
/Available now
Love this cover!
If you, like me, saw this book all over social media last fall but put off reading it, stop waiting! It truly is just as good as everyone was saying. It’s one of those delightfully genre bending romances that immeadiately hooks with you with the detailed and unique world building, interesting characters, and compelling romance.
Mercy Birdsall is doing her best to keep Birdsall & Son Undertakers running while her father’s health recovers and her brother finishes mortuary school. But running a business single-handedly is exhausting work, especially when a rival company wants to put you out of business and the local marshals are so irritating and exasperating. Exasperating and handsome. So handsome.
Hart Ralston is a marshal who keeps people safe from the many drudges roaming the wild lands of Tanria. Delivering bodies to local undertakers is just one part of his job, but some undertakers are far more annoying and exhausting than others. Especially those undertakers who are tall, curvy, beautiful and fiercely independent like Mercy Birdsall. And her having a lovable dog doesn’t hurt.
For four years, Mercy and Hart have traded increasingly hostile barbs at one another, all fueled by a bad first meeting. After a particularly unpleasant encounter with Mercy, Hart writes a letter to “A Friend.” Pouring out his feelings of loneliness in an uncharacteristically vulnerable letter, Hart is surprised and delighted to receive a response. What he doesn’t realize, is that kind, warm, and funny person he is corresponding with is none other than Mercy Birdsall. That’s right! They’re falling in love through anonymous letters.
As the two fall head over heels for each other, the world around them seems to be falling apart. Mercy’s undertaking business is in grave jeopardy. Hart is battling an increase in drudge attacks. And then the unthinkable happens. Hart discovers Mercy is his pen pal. Terrified that he’ll lose her friendship and hate him forever, he keeps his discovery a secret.
You guys. This is one of the best enemies-to-lovers I have ever read. These two can’t stand each other in the real world but are so smitten with each other in their letters it’s unreal. It’s so good! Also, the world building is really interesting. Magic is so prevalent in this world that it’s almost an afterthought. Hart is a demigod. His father is one of the Old Gods and it’s quite possible that he is immortal, but he won’t know until he dies. Or doesn’t? A magical occurrence/disaster/something caused “drudges” to be created. Souls that take over the living and can only be killed by piercing their appendix. I love how quirky this is. All of this is just normal and treated as such. And the best part-those magical letters that made it to “A Friend?” They are delivered by magical animal postal workers!
I love how passionate Mercy is about her job. She truly feels that ushering people into the afterlife is a calling and one that she enjoys doing. She has to deal with all sorts of patriarchal b.s. that is infuriating to read and completely relatable. And of course, Hart is perfect throughout all of it. He’s such a delightfully tall cinnamon roll.
This book is fun, quirky, sweet, sexy, and very romantic. If you love family drama, magic, witty banter, and epistolary novels, this will be perfect for you. If you’d like to add this fabulous book to your collection, you can click on the book cover above or here for ordering information.
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