Balancing fantasy and romance, the latter comes through stronger. As a reluctant romantic hero, Hart is compelling in his self-consciousness; it’s understandable why he would hesitate to come clean to Mercy, unable to trust that she could reconcile the friend in the letters with the man she’s starting to tolerate. The Birdsall family is the kind of charming, chattery brood that bring texture to a romance; Mercy’s relationships with her siblings (aspiring chef Zeddie and pregnant sister Lil) versus with gruff teddy bear Pops help amp up the tension around what she wants compared to what everyone else thinks she wants. And when the undertaking of the title turns romantic, it’s as steamy as Mercy’s favorite bathtub read, Enemies and Lovers. The letters could have been better, but I preferred the toned-down version. It also helps that I didn’t even think of You’ve Got Mail. The letters suit the characters (who aren’t philosophical), so no complaints. Despite the You’ve Got Mail comparisons—and though the characters are certainly well-read (with Mercy an especial fan of demigod/mortal romance)—it’s not bookstores that are in competition, but funeral homes. The business of death is booming, thanks to an overabundance of drudges to be prepared for the afterlife. But the real magic—the spark that startles ordinary people and makes them believe in something impossible—comes in the form of a letter to A Friend, where a pen and a lonely impulse transforms virtual strangers into correspondents, confidantes, and potentially something more. A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK."—Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

He pressed his forehead to hers, and because it would be absurd to tell her that he loved her, he poured everything he felt into one word: “Mercy.” The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy tries to do a lot of things--to be romantic, to be poignant, to be funny--and it's not that it fails at those things, exactly, but that it doesn't quite succeed at them, either. The side characters are an absolute treat. No kidding. I love them (except for Nathan and another guy). The main characters are decent, though they sometimes act less mature for their age. A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK”​ Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

Set in a world full of magic and demigods, donuts and small-town drama, this enchantingly quirky, utterly unique fantasy is perfect for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Invisible Library. Bassareus is a foul-mouthed alcoholic rabbit with chipped teeth and an earring that delivers mail to Hart and challenges him every second he gets. Ultimately, he helps Hart break out of his shell. It annoyed Mercy to no end that after years of putting up with that insufferable marshal, some primal inner instinct continued to think he looked good enough to eat. It also seemed like the book was trying to do too much, with three main branches of issues - the demigod issue, the business issue, and the romance issue. None of these felt intense enough for me to be concerned, or fleshed out enough to understand why everyone was reacting the way they were. It was a weird one where everything just felt very surface level, so my interest just didn't really hook. Realizing how lonely he is, Hart writes a letter to no one in particular and mails it. The letter ends up in Mercy’s hands, and I think you can see where this is going. Once upon a time, there were two lonely people…

Now take those and set them in a fantasy world. Perfection. Utter perfection. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a fantasy rom-com that promises to take you on a wild ride while having you fall head over heels in love with the novel’s main characters. When we first meet Hart and Mercy, they can’t stand each other. Hart is a grumpy Tarian Marshal demi-god who takes his job very seriously. As he should since it puts him face to face with supernatural creatures that are akin to zombies.

Hart and Mercy can’t stand each other. They seem to bring out the worst in the other (do we see sparks flying?). However, they have more in common than they like to think. Both are lonely and pretty much have no life beyond their jobs.