The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy came as such a lovely surprise! This recent release is a stand-alone fantasy romance (they DO exist, fantasy friends!!) and was overall a four-star read for me (swipe for the mini review). Our two loveable main characters are Mercy, an undertaker, and Hart, a marshal (in our fantasy world, this is a federal official who patrols the border of Tanria and hunts drudges, aka zombies). A few small details that immediately won me over - Mercy is a TALL GIRL (hallelujah, tall friends, there is no massive-height-difference-trope at work here, our girl is tall and proud of it). And Hart is a library patron who frequently mentions his inter-library loans while patrolling the western wilds of Tanria. We have a mystery-pen-pal storyline at the start, as Mercy and Hart, sworn enemies, begin anonymously (and unknowingly) writing to each other, and the absolute sincerity of their connection underscores their admissions of loneliness and yearning and dreaming.

This was a well-paced read (I read it in a day or so because I didn't want to put it down) with two primary mysteries at the heart of the story. One of those mysteries felt a bit disconnected - it was an easier one to anticipate and I am not entirely sure it was as necessary to the storyline. The other mystery, though - executed beautifully. The writing at times was a bit over-descriptive for me personally, but not in a way that distracted me while I was reading.

I would absolutely recommend this one - these (very small) notes aside, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read with adorably sweet and sensitive main characters that you will want to take with you.