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Hart Ralston is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the wasteland of Tanria, hunting for drudges. It's an unforgiving job, and Hart's got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness. Mercy Birdsall never has a moment to herself. She's been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat - despite definitely not being a son - in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart Ralston, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. After yet another exasperating run-in show more with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning 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 infuriates him most - Mercy. As the unlikely pen pals grow closer, so does the danger posed by the drudges. And suddenly their old animosity seems so small compared to what they might be able to do: end the drudges forever. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares - each other? show lessTags
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{first of 3? in Hart and Mercy series; romance, fantasy, open door romance, demigods, food}
Library books, dogs, a man who cooks superlatively - what's not to love?
Oh - you want to know what the story is about?
Alrighty: (The story is narrated in the third person, past tense from both Mercy’s and Hart’s points of view.) Mercy Birdsal is an undertaker's daughter running Birdsal and Son, the family company, until her brother can take over after finishing his degree. Hart Ralston is a marshal keeping Tanria free of zombie-like drudges. From their first meeting, when Hart took the body of a drudge to Birdsal and Son, they've riled each other up and sniped at each other. But Hart is an outsider, a demigod who has never known his immortal show more father (which is a bit of a sore point for him) and who used to write letters to his mum after she died and then his mentor in the Marshals, Bill, after he died.
Drudges, by the way, are corpses which have been reanimated by lost souls, of which there are many floating around Tanria. Hart's demigod superpower, which he's not told anyone about, is being able to see lost souls as a bar of light - a very handy asset for a Tanrian Marshal. One day when the loneliness really gets to him, but not feeling like writing to either Bill or his mum, Hart writes a letter to 'a friend' and posts it in a nimkilim box (nimkilims are anthropomorphic post-animals - you know what? Just read the book), not expecting it to be delivered to anyone. But then Mercy receives a mysterious letter from 'a friend' which strikes a note with her and she replies, thus beginning an ongoing correspondence.
What else do you need to know? Oh - they both love reading, especially library books, they both love dogs - the only reason Hart goes to Birdsal and Son, in spite of having to see Mercy (apparently), is because of Leonard, her bulldog (his own dog, Gracie, died before the story starts) - and Mercy's brother Zeddie discovers a passion for cooking (which is good because neither of his sisters nor his dad can cook decently). And Hart is a great dancer.
To be honest, I felt a bit lost at the beginning; we do get thrown into the middle of things at the beginning, though much of it is explained later. There's a Western flavour to this story with the Marshals keeping the peace but they drive around in autoducks (I still don't know what those are but I'm imagining pick-up trucks/ utes) and they drive on waterways between islands (... oh, I get it now; ducks/ water). And then there's Tanria, bounded by Mists where the Old Gods were penned. And whole pantheons of gods - which I read about, decided I'd discovered enough though I was a bit confused, and hurried on with the story itself.
And the story itself I loved. The people are lovely - even the villains aren't out and out bounders. The families, both found and inherited, were a joy. It's an all round feel-good story. It's not just a romance; there's also the mystery of the sudden increase in the number of drudges and the backstory of the gods. And I loved the resolution, which I didn't see coming. I found the whole premise (re the world that the story is set in) unusual, one I haven't seen before and I'm glad that there are more books in the series so we can explore it further.
This was a book bullet for me. Recommended; and I'm looking forward to the next one.
(May 2025)
4.5 stars show less
Library books, dogs, a man who cooks superlatively - what's not to love?
Oh - you want to know what the story is about?
Alrighty: (The story is narrated in the third person, past tense from both Mercy’s and Hart’s points of view.) Mercy Birdsal is an undertaker's daughter running Birdsal and Son, the family company, until her brother can take over after finishing his degree. Hart Ralston is a marshal keeping Tanria free of zombie-like drudges. From their first meeting, when Hart took the body of a drudge to Birdsal and Son, they've riled each other up and sniped at each other. But Hart is an outsider, a demigod who has never known his immortal show more father (which is a bit of a sore point for him) and who used to write letters to his mum after she died and then his mentor in the Marshals, Bill, after he died.
Drudges, by the way, are corpses which have been reanimated by lost souls, of which there are many floating around Tanria. Hart's demigod superpower, which he's not told anyone about, is being able to see lost souls as a bar of light - a very handy asset for a Tanrian Marshal. One day when the loneliness really gets to him, but not feeling like writing to either Bill or his mum, Hart writes a letter to 'a friend' and posts it in a nimkilim box (nimkilims are anthropomorphic post-animals - you know what? Just read the book), not expecting it to be delivered to anyone. But then Mercy receives a mysterious letter from 'a friend' which strikes a note with her and she replies, thus beginning an ongoing correspondence.
He paused. Was that... flirtatious? Was he flirting? But neither of them was speaking of dancing here. This was a metaphor, and Hart was hardly likely to be found at a party anyway. Besides, this was a letter to a person he never intended to meet. That was the beauty of it. He could be completely honest with someone who would never see him, never know him in reality.The world that the story is set in is a little confusing but fun.
There and then, he decided that he would never again cross something out or start over. He wouldn't censor himself. He would be exactly who he was.
He wrote the letter and folded it into fourths, making a mental note to buy envelopes the next time he resupplied. Because there would be more letters. He was certain of it.
Once the lanterns were put out, Hart lay on his back, staring at the night sky, at the stars that had once been gods. He couldn't sleep, and he didn't want to. He listened to Duckers's baby-soft snores, and in his mind, he read the words of his friend's letter over and over again.
For the first time in a long, long while, he wasn't alone.
What else do you need to know? Oh - they both love reading, especially library books, they both love dogs - the only reason Hart goes to Birdsal and Son, in spite of having to see Mercy (apparently), is because of Leonard, her bulldog (his own dog, Gracie, died before the story starts) - and Mercy's brother Zeddie discovers a passion for cooking (which is good because neither of his sisters nor his dad can cook decently). And Hart is a great dancer.
To be honest, I felt a bit lost at the beginning; we do get thrown into the middle of things at the beginning, though much of it is explained later. There's a Western flavour to this story with the Marshals keeping the peace but they drive around in autoducks (I still don't know what those are but I'm imagining pick-up trucks/ utes) and they drive on waterways between islands (... oh, I get it now; ducks/ water). And then there's Tanria, bounded by Mists where the Old Gods were penned. And whole pantheons of gods - which I read about, decided I'd discovered enough though I was a bit confused, and hurried on with the story itself.
And the story itself I loved. The people are lovely - even the villains aren't out and out bounders. The families, both found and inherited, were a joy. It's an all round feel-good story. It's not just a romance; there's also the mystery of the sudden increase in the number of drudges and the backstory of the gods. And I loved the resolution, which I didn't see coming. I found the whole premise (re the world that the story is set in) unusual, one I haven't seen before and I'm glad that there are more books in the series so we can explore it further.
This was a book bullet for me. Recommended; and I'm looking forward to the next one.
(May 2025)
4.5 stars show less
I loved this so much. From the first page to the end, it hooked me. It has a cast of great characters, all of them well developed, and the hate-love romance was wonderful and moved at just the right pace. I especially loved the world: it was so peaceful, even with the zombie-like monsters who occasionally showed up. I loved that the gods and religion in the world felt tangible, as if the gods had only recently been present in the world; it felt like what religion should be, bringing people comfort and not causing trouble with ideas about morality, or causing people to fight. And I loved how peaceful the rituals for death were, instead of creepy, although there was a sleazy/greedy side to the funeral industry, as there is in our own show more world. I’d list this as one of my favorite books. show less
It's You've Got Mail set in a frontier-esque town in a fantasy universe where zombies are a regular problem. And somehow despite that strange set up, it's a kind of cozy romantasy. Our enemies who become lovers are Mercy, who is struggling to keep her family's undertaking business afloat, and Hart, who works as a marshal preventing the zombies from reaching populated areas. When Hart sends out an anonymous letter addressed to a friend and expecting no response, he is astounded when the mail system brings him a reply. But when he learns who he's been writing to, it throws all his assumptions on their ears.
I picked up this book after scrolling through a list of suggested cozy fantasy reads for BookRiot's fall reading bingo challenge. I'm show more not usually one for zombies but I love You've Got Mail so I gave this one a try and was pleased I did. Bannen has built a really fascinating fantasy world with an interesting mythology that has implications for both Hart and Mercy. I only had one gripe about a plot choice (that I won't get into because it's full of spoilers) but ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed the read and will be looking for the other books in the series. show less
I picked up this book after scrolling through a list of suggested cozy fantasy reads for BookRiot's fall reading bingo challenge. I'm show more not usually one for zombies but I love You've Got Mail so I gave this one a try and was pleased I did. Bannen has built a really fascinating fantasy world with an interesting mythology that has implications for both Hart and Mercy. I only had one gripe about a plot choice (that I won't get into because it's full of spoilers) but ultimately I thoroughly enjoyed the read and will be looking for the other books in the series. show less
I have read this book before but didn't write a review then so I'm rectifying that now after a recent and very enjoyable re-read. There is something for everyone in this book: fantasy, action/adventure, possessed "zombies", mystery, mistaken identity enemies-to-lovers romance, all with a western-ish flair. At its core, though, it's a story about relationships: how we lose them but also (and most importantly) how we build them to keep. I love Hart and Mercy together, my gosh, these two! Both vulnerable in their own ways, drawn together no matter how hard they resisted, with big crabby hearts worthy of love. I usually struggle with following the world building in most fantasy novels, but the author thankfully made it very easy to follow. show more Think "You've Got Mail", but set in an alternate fantasy world with humanoids and demi-Gods, and a pinch of Firefly thrown in. I absolutely loved the side character of Duckers and how he helped Hart come back to himself. I was not initially a fan of Mercy's siblings and their obliviousness to Mercy's worries and needs surrounding the family business but they grew on me.
Do yourself a favor and read this book, really take the time to savor it. It's a gem of a story. show less
Do yourself a favor and read this book, really take the time to savor it. It's a gem of a story. show less
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This was an adorable and quirky fantasy read that I loved every second of. I am not sure how Bannen managed to make undertaking and zombie hunting cute and cozy but she did.
The story alternates between Mercy's POV and Hart's POV. Mercy is struggling to keep her father's undertaking business afloat. Her dad is recovering from a heart attack, her sister is very pregnant, and her brother (who was supposed to be inheriting the business) faints at the sight of corpses. She is at the end of her patience when she gets a letter anonymously addressed to "a friend".
Hart is a Marshall and fights to keep the drudges (undead, zombie types) from invading show more the town proper. He is crabby and lonely and randomly writes a letter to "a friend" when he is venting and is surprised when he starts to get letters back. Meanwhile, the numbers of drudges seem to be increasing exponentially and Hart is in greater and greater danger and trying to solve the mystery behind their increase.
If you are looking for a nice cozy fantasy (with dead bodies and zombies) this is a great one. The characters are all likable and engaging. Mercy's relationship with her family is wonderful fun and there is a lot of humor in here. This is primarily a romance with a couple mysteries and some action woven in. You have the mystery of the increase in drudges and the mystery behind where they came from to begin with. You have some action when Hart is off fighting drudges as well. Additionally, you have the mystery behind why a competitive undertaking business is doing so well.
There are some explicit sex scenes in here and they are well done. The sex scenes manage to be sexy, heartwarming and hilarious all at once. The chemistry between Mercy and Hart is absolutely perfect and, again, just so much fun. This is a book that will have you chuckling out loud and then have you holding your breath in expectation when you turn the page. It was completely engrossing, flawlessly written and so much fun (wait I think I already said that a few times!).
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book. It wasn't what I went in expecting but that's not a bad thing. I am not sure how you could expect what this book was, it was just too unique and quirky for any sort of expectation. However, I was looking for a fun and cozy read and this book delivered that in spades. This was highly readable, incredibly entertaining, and just an all out "good feels" sort of book. It left me happy and wanting to read more from Bannen. I will definitely be checking out any previous books she has written and keeping an eye out for future ones as well. show less
Thoughts: This was an adorable and quirky fantasy read that I loved every second of. I am not sure how Bannen managed to make undertaking and zombie hunting cute and cozy but she did.
The story alternates between Mercy's POV and Hart's POV. Mercy is struggling to keep her father's undertaking business afloat. Her dad is recovering from a heart attack, her sister is very pregnant, and her brother (who was supposed to be inheriting the business) faints at the sight of corpses. She is at the end of her patience when she gets a letter anonymously addressed to "a friend".
Hart is a Marshall and fights to keep the drudges (undead, zombie types) from invading show more the town proper. He is crabby and lonely and randomly writes a letter to "a friend" when he is venting and is surprised when he starts to get letters back. Meanwhile, the numbers of drudges seem to be increasing exponentially and Hart is in greater and greater danger and trying to solve the mystery behind their increase.
If you are looking for a nice cozy fantasy (with dead bodies and zombies) this is a great one. The characters are all likable and engaging. Mercy's relationship with her family is wonderful fun and there is a lot of humor in here. This is primarily a romance with a couple mysteries and some action woven in. You have the mystery of the increase in drudges and the mystery behind where they came from to begin with. You have some action when Hart is off fighting drudges as well. Additionally, you have the mystery behind why a competitive undertaking business is doing so well.
There are some explicit sex scenes in here and they are well done. The sex scenes manage to be sexy, heartwarming and hilarious all at once. The chemistry between Mercy and Hart is absolutely perfect and, again, just so much fun. This is a book that will have you chuckling out loud and then have you holding your breath in expectation when you turn the page. It was completely engrossing, flawlessly written and so much fun (wait I think I already said that a few times!).
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book. It wasn't what I went in expecting but that's not a bad thing. I am not sure how you could expect what this book was, it was just too unique and quirky for any sort of expectation. However, I was looking for a fun and cozy read and this book delivered that in spades. This was highly readable, incredibly entertaining, and just an all out "good feels" sort of book. It left me happy and wanting to read more from Bannen. I will definitely be checking out any previous books she has written and keeping an eye out for future ones as well. show less
This is cosy fantasy retelling of You’ve Got Mail is about two people who work with corpses. It would be so easy for such a story to focus on horror and gore, but instead the emphasis is on compassion, and on how both Hart and Mercy see their respective jobs as an important service to the community. It took me a while to realise that Hart could be described as a “zombie hunter”!
Hart is a marshal, dealing with the problem of drudges in Tanria. Mercy runs her family’s undertaking business. Hart’s desperately lonely. Mercy’s struggling with her family's expectations and secrets. The two of them clash when they cross paths professionally, but as anonymous penpals, they connect.
This is a weird mixture of things I love -- show more courtship through letters! people being kind! -- and things I don’t find so appealing, like reanimated corpses. It isn’t always my cup of tea but I nevertheless really enjoyed reading it. show less
Hart is a marshal, dealing with the problem of drudges in Tanria. Mercy runs her family’s undertaking business. Hart’s desperately lonely. Mercy’s struggling with her family's expectations and secrets. The two of them clash when they cross paths professionally, but as anonymous penpals, they connect.
This is a weird mixture of things I love -- show more courtship through letters! people being kind! -- and things I don’t find so appealing, like reanimated corpses. It isn’t always my cup of tea but I nevertheless really enjoyed reading it. show less
** spoiler alert ** I really enjoyed this book -- all the feels, some extremely great secondary queer characters, some lovely family aggro, the beauty and fulfillment of doing something that makes you feel like you contribute to the world. The main characters, the romance, were right on the edge for me, between like and dislike, but they stuck the landing, whew.
My mixed feelings are this: the world is really cool, and I like the world building, however, it feels very much like the world was created in order that this story could exist, which is weird. I see it, you know? Mercy as a contemporary undertaker without the mysticism of salting and boat building and singing the dead home (how beautiful) is just not the same type of character show more at all. Hart as a western frontier marshal wouldn't work at all. The loss of the demi-gods and the angst of eternity and the amazing post delivery systems would wreck this book. Is that the essence of all storytelling? I don't know. It just feels like the world was built to tell this romance, and I want the world to be able to stand on its own. I love that the queer people are just queer and nobody cares about that at all. I had a hard time with the trope of Mercy not inheriting the business because it's a father-son thing -- I'm glad they cleared that up. But it didn't feel reasonable or true from the get-go, and I don't love artificial barriers.
On the whole, a really good time. and obviously I was pretty emotionally invested or I wouldn't have this much to say. show less
My mixed feelings are this: the world is really cool, and I like the world building, however, it feels very much like the world was created in order that this story could exist, which is weird. I see it, you know? Mercy as a contemporary undertaker without the mysticism of salting and boat building and singing the dead home (how beautiful) is just not the same type of character show more at all. Hart as a western frontier marshal wouldn't work at all. The loss of the demi-gods and the angst of eternity and the amazing post delivery systems would wreck this book. Is that the essence of all storytelling? I don't know. It just feels like the world was built to tell this romance, and I want the world to be able to stand on its own. I love that the queer people are just queer and nobody cares about that at all. I had a hard time with the trope of Mercy not inheriting the business because it's a father-son thing -- I'm glad they cleared that up. But it didn't feel reasonable or true from the get-go, and I don't love artificial barriers.
On the whole, a really good time. and obviously I was pretty emotionally invested or I wouldn't have this much to say. show less
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Author Information
8+ Works 2,158 Members
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Awards and Honors
Awards
Notable Lists
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2022-08-23
- People/Characters
- Hart Ralston; Mercy Birdsall; Alma Maguire; Roy Birdsall
- Dedication
- To Mike—
We've got a good life, honey. - First words
- It was always a gamble, dropping off a body at Birdsall & Son, Undertakers, but this morning, the Bride of Fortune favored Hart Ralston.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)She smiled at him, dimples and all. “Hello, Sweet-Hart.”
- Blurbers
- Helen Hoang; Olivia Atwater; Manda Collins; Jen DeLuca; Ruby Dixon; Davinia Evans (show all 11); Lana Harper; India Holton; Freya Marske; Vivian Shaw; Sierra Simone
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- 1,100
- Popularity
- 23,002
- Reviews
- 32
- Rating
- (4.04)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 4
