Book Review: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

I received this special edition copy in my Fairyloot subscription. So far, I wasn't terribly pleased with most of the books because they really lacked romance. When I grabbed this one, I wasn't expecting much different.

Boy was I surprised!

This year, I've come to learn that quirky romcoms are my absolute favorite. If it has something magical or other about it (in this case, demigods and zombies), I am IN!

Hart is a marshal, working in a borderland to keep drudges at bay. There is a particular skill one has to be a marshal. And that doesn't include being socially adept.

Mercy is an undertaker in a failing business. Her mother died over a decade ago and her father has medical issues that keep him from performing the duties of Birdsall & Son, leaving Mercy to take over. Whereas in other stories, the main character would probably hate being responsible for the family business, Mercy is actually really good at her job and she enjoys being able to send people off on their final voyage.

When Hart dispatches drudges, he delivers their corpses to one of the many undertakers, but there's one in particular he dreads: Birdsall & Son. That's because Mercy--whom he nicknamed Merciless--is sharp tongued and doesn't like him. Not so adoringly, Mercy calls him Hart-ache, and the two have hated one another since they first met.

On a particularly lonely night at work, Hart pens a letter to "A Friend." He puts his feelings down on paper and places the letter in a mail box, never expecting a reply. Until he gets one.

Mercy has the world on her shoulders, so when she receives an anonymous letter from a lost soul like herself reaching out, she can't help herself but to reply.

I. Loved. This. Book.

The first thing I did was check to see if this author has any more adult publications. Unfortunately, they do not, but I will be one of the first to read it when she does.

I can't tell you how much I adored this story. It was witty and funny, it had just enough of that other element that I got sucked right in and the romance was *chef's kiss*.

Read this book!

Abbie

Book Review: The Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Y'all, when I got the email notification that I was approved for an advanced reader copy of TJ Klune's latest, I SCREAMED! I adored The House on the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door. Klune is such a whimsy and fun author, so I dove right in!

One thing I noticed almost immediately was how much more rooted in science fiction this story was. The House on the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering door were a little more rooted in magic and fairytales. But, the story definitely had Klune's whimsicality.

The novel begins with an almost once upon a time feel, as Giovanni finds a place in the middle of nowhere and decides to make it his home. Some time later, after years of solitude, a couple appears in the forest outside of his home and give him their baby. Times are dangerous now, but they will return for the child.

Years pass, and Victor, once a babe, now a man grown, has spent his entire life with Gio, who is an android, Nurse Ratched, a robot meant to take care of human illness and injury, and Rambo, a tiny vacuum robot with so much heart. Victor knows that he's different. He's human, whereas the rest are machines. He never really questions his existence. He learns from Gio all about building and tinkering. Victor is the one who rescued Nurse Ratched and Rambo.

Not far from their home in the forest are Scrap Yards, where parts and pieces are disposed of outside of civilization. One day, while hunting through the yards, Victor comes across a presence in the piles. With the help of his friends, Victor uncovers a robot that still has some power, but then it fizzles out.

Victor, ever the inventor, wants to fix the robot up. This one is different. There's just something about him that Victor almost obsesses over. He fixes the robot, named Hap, and his father is quite surprised by the new addition to their household.

This is such a fun story about the beauty of life, of free will.

When 'smooth men' appear one day, Gio shoves his son and the rest down into a bunker none of them knew existed. That's when Victor learns the truth: there were never parents. Gio incubated him in the bunker, raised him to be his own child, and loved him like no other. Victor is the last human on earth. Gio sacrifices himself for his family, and Victor is determined to find his father.

This was a really well done novel, even if I felt like it lacked some of the whimsy from Klune's prior novels. If you enjoyed his other work, you'll probably enjoy this one!

Abbie

Book Review: The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

I loved The Ex Hex so much that before I even finished it, I bought a copy from my local indie bookstore. While The Ex Hex gave us a very satisfying Happily Ever After, I knew I would continue to read, especially when I found out that Erin Sterling had more books in this universe.

This novel surrounds Gwyn, Vivi's cousin. The prologue in the beginning goes back to when Gwyn was a student at the university. And boy, is she chaotic! Years before Vivi and Rhys met, she had a run in with Rhys's older brother, Llewelyn.

When The Kiss Curse begins, we learn that Vivi and Rhys got married in the interim between the ending of the last book and the beginning of this one. They are planning a trip to Wales, to Rhys's homeland, and Gwyn is bummed about getting left behind.

Llewelyn "Wells" Penhallow is Rhys's older brother, who has been working in the family's pub back in Wales. Business has been dismal, and Wells feels rather unsettled in his life so far. When his father comes to the pub one night, he suggests that he go to Graves Glen, start his own witchery shop, and put the Penhallow presence back in the town since their magic was eradicated at the end of The Ex Hex.

Oddly enough, his father agrees.

What follows is an oddly endearing story of two people that are such opposites that they can't help but attract one another. All while Gwyn's magic disappears.

Sterling does a great job of balancing plot with romance. There's just enough heat on the page that I felt satisfied, but it didn't feel gratuitous. I really love this series. It's whimsical and witchy and feel good, just all of the things I love about witchy rom-coms!

If you're looking for a fun, flirty, romance with a little bit of magic, check this one out!

Abbie