In her first novel for adults, the snappy, hilarious fantasy romcom The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, Megan Bannen (Soulswift) conjures up a weird and wonderful fantasy setting for a romance between two vibrant and memorable characters.
Hart Ralston, a marshal, demigod and possible immortal, is lonely, especially in the aftermath of his partner's promotion to supervisor and their subsequent falling-out. His occupation, hunting zombie-like "drudges" in the magical wilderness of Tanria, certainly doesn't lend itself to home, hearth and an active social life. His only friend is Leonard, the shop dog at Birdsall & Son Undertakers, where he frequently drops off the drudges' remains. Sadly, Leonard's owner, Mercy Birdsall, is hostile, sarcastic and unfairly attractive. When Hart's isolation hits critical mass, he writes an anonymous letter to an imagined, unnamed friend and mails it on a whim, only to receive an anonymous, friendly response.
Devoted but exhausted daughter Mercy has kept Birdsall & Son's doors open by herself while her father slows down and the business's heir apparent, her brother Zeddie, finishes school. Abrasive, arrogant, "irritatingly sexy" men like Marshal Ralston don't make it any easier. When she receives an unsigned letter from "a friend," Mercy anonymously answers. Soon the epistolary relationship becomes a welcome escape from a new slew of problems.
Bannen's from-the-heart romp through a magical, western-inspired world is packed with a fistful of romance readers' most beloved tropes. From the couple's first showdown to a hard-won happily ever after, this swoon-inducing journey is one wild and satisfying ride. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads