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adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like you’ve got mail plus magic this is a book for you. Though the dialogue is occasionally moment for moment like that story. It is still sweet and cute. With a few zombie like creatures. Oh well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hart is a Tanrian Marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds. He’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness while doing a difficult job. Mercy is single-handedly keeping the family’s undertaking business afloat, with never a moment to herself. This is the story about their two worlds colliding, and all the disaster that it causes.
When Hart pens his loneliness out to “A Friend” in an anonymous letter, he shockingly gets a response back, and a tenuous friendship develops. But what kind of relationship can be only on paper? What will happen when Hart realizes who he’s been baring his soul to?
I went into this one expecting it to be lackluster. And for the first third of the book it was, as far as the “romance” part of the romantacy. I absolutely loved the fantasy parts. The social construction of a religion that not only explains the origins of the universe in this novel, but allows for the whole reason there are Marshalls like Hart to begin with? And demigods just walking around like “normal” people? Yes, please. I even liked the revamping of the zombies into drudges. It made for an excellent villain plotline that was perfectly executed.
Now, if you like enemies to lovers tropes - and I do - then the romance part could be for you. However, I was disappointed. Everyone other than Hart and Mercy can see the very obvious… they don’t really hate each other, they’re both just too stuck in their own problems to realize it. The banter between them is cutting and witty. The tension is minimal, since they only interact in a professional setting, until they don’t. And the mysterious pen pal part is also very trope-ish and overdone. I did like the messengers of the Old Gods having to play letter carrier though.
I think I’d honestly have given the book 5 stars if the romance hadn’t been a factor of the plotline. The last third of the book - minus the sex scenes - was so well written and emotionally devastating that I was tearing up for Hart’s misery, homecoming, and resolution of his character arc. Hart’s homecoming alone brought this up from a 3 to 4 star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I almost gave up on this book partway through, but I'm glad I stuck with it! I do wish the mystery action was brought up earlier and was a bit more drawn out than it actually was. But the world-building and lore were really interesting, and the characters were pretty great. Hart made some truly idiotic decisions, but he came around in the end!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Overall this book isn't too violent, but there are zombie-like creatures. There are depictions of autopsy and embalming. A character is grieving the loss of their dog, but there are no dogs hurt or killed on page. There are scenes with scared horses, and a couple of hunting scenes. A police officer abuses his power. A character sacrifices themself. Past death of mothers but no on page parental deaths. There is mention of giving birth and pregnancy, but none of it is detailed.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I bought this from our local indie bookstore’s local authors shelf, although I may have also seen it online. I really liked the two leads and this was heavily inspired by “You’ve Got Mail,” which is one of my favorites. The zombie-ish/mythology parts of it got a little confusing to me at times. Having worked in hospice and gone to a lot of funerals, I appreciated Mercy’s devotion to providing compassionate funeral care.
General content notes that grief, dead bodies, and zombie-ish violence are heavily involved.
Overall, it was charming and I would like to read more by Megan Bannen.
General content notes that grief, dead bodies, and zombie-ish violence are heavily involved.
Overall, it was charming and I would like to read more by Megan Bannen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
References to past non-violent death of pet
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Is this book peak romance literature? Probably not
But was it fun and cute and I had a great time? Absolutely
The fantasy girlie in me craves to know more about what the heck is going on in this universe but I can’t complain cuz it’s a romance book, not fantasy focused. I also think it’s hilarious to think that the soul is stored in the appendix
But was it fun and cute and I had a great time? Absolutely
The fantasy girlie in me craves to know more about what the heck is going on in this universe but I can’t complain cuz it’s a romance book, not fantasy focused. I also think it’s hilarious to think that the soul is stored in the appendix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Grief
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Romance isn't typically a genre I'd go for, especially as an audiobook. I might have liked this more reading it because the narrators' voices put me off from liking the characters, except for Basarius (sp?); that was a golden accent choice. If I try romance again I will not pick an audiobook.
The world was really interesting and it had somewhat of a western feel as well as fantasy. The focus on death was also an unexpected choice. Kinda icky that the guybecame a cop.
The world was really interesting and it had somewhat of a western feel as well as fantasy. The focus on death was also an unexpected choice. Kinda icky that the guy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book and can’t wait to continue with the series. The ending was predictable but I’m okay with it because I love a HEA.
Rachanee’s narration was robotic and not my favourite, but that won’t stop me from continuing with the series if she narrates the other books.
Rachanee’s narration was robotic and not my favourite, but that won’t stop me from continuing with the series if she narrates the other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Sexism, Pregnancy
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was cute but too predictable for me. The spice was easy enough to skip and the characters were likable but the miscommunication trope wasn’t for me. I also didn’t like a certain trope at the end.
Plot: A love story in a fantasy world surrounding a mortician.
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
TW: death, violence, sexual situations (M/F open door romance, M/M implied)
Plot: A love story in a fantasy world surrounding a mortician.
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
TW: death, violence, sexual situations (M/F open door romance, M/M implied)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent