The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy: the swoonworthy fantasy romcom everyone's talking about! (Hart and Mercy Series) Paperback – 25 Aug. 2022

I absolutely loved this book. It's the sort of thing that I will press into people's hands and insist they read it.Hart is a lanky demigod/ranger. In a fit of excessive loneliness, he writes a letter to 'a friend'. This letter gets delivered to the undertaker, Mercy. They generally don't get along. Mercy replies and they become pen friends, not knowing that they are arch enemies in real life.There was so much I loved about this book. First of all the world building was amazing. It's a sort of alt universe, with a wild west feel to it. There is a religious system that's baked into the world - you only get told the bits that are relevant, but you can see it in the names of things and in the background of the world.The characters are wonderful. Mercy is delightful and loved that she was a mortician (who enjoys her job). Hart is adorably grumpy. The secondary characters were realistic and some of the character interactions were genuinely very funny.There's a great plot that gallops along. The black moment is heartbreaking. There is a happy ending.I loved everything about this book. Everything.

A refreshingly different world and heroine. Nice humor. Nice romance. Some clear, engaging side characters. I would happily read more of this author

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is an entertaining, hilariously quirky and slightly morbid fantasy romance mixed with so many well-executed rom-com elements. I would definitely recommend it to those who love the hate-to-love/enemies-to-lovers trope, delicious emotional angst, all the grumpy/sunshine vibes in both romance and friendship, strong family banter and MCs who are so very easy to love.Bannen swept me away to this weirdly quaint and macabre world where zombie-like creatures existed alongside portals to lands that served as a magical prison for Gods. The setting was a mix of old-fashioned historical western and magical modern quirkiness that sounds like such an odd combination but really worked so well for this story—it's unlike any fantasy romance setting I've read before which made it so much more fun to read. Although the world-building was pretty light, I liked that it wasn't so complex that I'd get lost in the intricacies but it was still enough for me to get a clear picture of what was happening, where and why. This had a mystery element too and though it was kind of predictable and only played a minor-ish role in pushing forward the romance and character development, it was still fun to figure it out.As intriguing as the world-building is, the characters are 100% what won me over and I knew I would love all of them—main and side characters alike, the moment we are introduced to them.Mercy was absolutely wonderful! She has such a big heart and has so much love and kindness to share with everyone. Although everyone assumes she's being held back from "living her life" due to these obligations, she actually loves being an undertaker and it was such a pleasure to read about her passion for providing people with the best care she can give them even if they're no longer alive to see it. She's selfless, which often meant she puts her wants and needs last, but her responsibilities also made her feel a little lonely and friendless. I loved her sunshine positivity!In total grumpy contrast to her is Hart. He is a super-sad and super-lonely demigod and honestly, that romance hero archetype is absolutely my kryptonite so it's safe to say that I LOVED him. He's lost so many loved ones in his life and is understandably jaded because of it, but it'll surprise no one to know that under his gruffness, Hart is an ooey-gooey softy who's scared to live his life and yet he craves the comfort of companionship though he doesn't know how to show it. I was most invested in Hart because he's so harsh on himself but he deserves so much happiness and it was so satisfying to see him open up thanks to Mercy and Duckers entering his life. I honestly didn't expect to get so emotionally invested but by the end of this book, I was full-on weeping!And aah, don't even get me started on their romance! It was everything! Totally *chefs kiss!* and I feel head-over-feet for these love birds! 💜 If you are a fan of the hate-to-love trope, with plenty of "I loathe this person and yet I can't keep my eyes off them or stop thinking about them" vibes, then you're for sure going to love the dynamic between Hart and Mercy. They both come in hot with slinging insults at each other and their snippy hate-filled banter is just as good as their friendship-turned-lovers banter! The emotional, physical and sexual tension was palpable each time they met and it created such delightfully angsty moments. If you enjoy epistolary stories or mixed media formats, then you'll enjoy the inclusion of their letters in this. The vulnerability, the cheeky banter, and the comforting connection they formed all came through so well! 😂Aside from our two wonderful MCs, the side characters all won me over too. Mercy's family is delightfully weird and wonderful and it was such a blast to read all their interactions. They're small but loud, rambunctious, and so full of life! I also adored Pen Duckers—Hart's apprentice and the one who starts injecting more joy and life into Hart's world. Their connection was all sorts of heartwarming and together they not only made a great team but also a little family unit that made my heart so happy. I can't forget to mention the nimkilim Horatio and Bassareus, the latter who was shockingly vulgar but it was somehow so fitting for this giant magical rabbit's personality. 😂 Honestly, so many of the characters and their dynamics in this book were hilarious and had me cracking up! This book was a lot funnier than I thought it'd be which just made reading Bannen's writing all the more enjoyable to read.I can really go on about this book but long story short is that I absolutely loved it, couldn't put it down, want to go back to these characters immediately, and would highly recommend it to all of those who love romance and aren't afraid to get it with a lite dose of fantasy. This is definitely one of my favourites this year (yes, I really loved it that much)!

3.5 🌟This was a cute enemies-to-lovers, secret pen pal romance.The world created was very interesting (though a bit info dumpy to begin with) and I really enjoyed the depth to both the world and characters!The pacing felt a bit off for me, but I really did adore all the side characters and was intrigued enough with the main plot to keep reading.

A lovely story, great characters. World building is really interesting, would love to read more. This 20 word minimum review is a pain - it's a good read, try it!

To start with this seemed to be getting close to being very twee, especially when the letter-delivering owl appears, but to my very pleasant surprise it actually developed into an entertaining story peopled with likeable characters and a decent plot. I read it in two days and will definitely be buying the sequel when it is published.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, follows Hart Ralston and Mercy Birdsall. Mercy is responsible for keeping her family and their business functioning; Hart is a Marshal who is often tasked with returning bodies to undertakers, including Birdsall & Son, where Mercy works. The pair detest one another but both feel lonely. To combat this, Hart writes a letter to “a friend” and begins receiving anonymous letters in return, thus beginning an unlikely friendship.The story is told in the third person with chapters from Hart and Mercy’s perspectives. The book is a medium paced fantasy romance which contains plenty of action and comedy. I believe this book is a standalone and the story wraps up nicely by the end of the book.I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a book which was so relatable to my life. I thought Mercy and Hart (and the side characters) were very lovable and both were easy for me to relate to. I also thought this book covered some heavy topics, including loneliness and death, but it was done in a unique and enjoyable way so it didn’t make me feel overwhelmed. The romance was excellent and I really loved how Hart and Mercy truly enhanced each other’s lives. I also really liked the fantasy system (twist on zombies) and the undertaking aspect of the story. There were also revelations and twists which I hadn’t seen coming and were really well executed. In my opinion the book was incredibly well written and I found the ending very emotional and it almost left me in tears.I think I could ramble on about how fantastic this book was for hours. It was an incredibly unique read but definitely heartwarming so I’d recommend it to fans of Half a Soul and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

This book is a fun romp that you will not regret. Lovely, well rounded characters, fun and plausible family banter, with an interesting twist thrown in. Enemies to lovers, with a sprinkling of "touch her and die," and NO pregnancy trope! Bliss. Fun world building, that's not so complex it distracts from the plot.Buy it. Read it. Read it again. You won't regret it.

This book is everything I love. Amazing characters and development, it’s hilarious, heartfelt, beautiful and made me cry so hard, ripped my heart out and put it back together. I absolutely loved it

This Amazing book has it all, the romance, the fantasy, the drama, the zombies and an original amazing world building and story line. I cried, I laugh and I was so into it that now I feel the characters are friends of mine haha. 100% recommended, like I said in the tittle: one of the best books I’ve ever read!

I do not regret buying this book. It has been a delightful experience. Funny and heart-melting. SPOILER, The plot about the big bad undertaker was a bit too easy, but thats okay because it was still such a fun time to read this book. I loved the witty dialouges and all the characters had a lot of depth to them. I read this book in one day.

This book took me to another world, made my cry, smile and lifted my heart in hope for humanity.There is no need to question reading or buying this book, you will not regret it. If you open your heart, this story will fill it.