Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

22 reviews

organizedxchaos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Cursing, Gore, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Misogyny and Cancer

miss_berry315's review

slow-paced

2.5

 I never could decide how I felt about this book tbh. I originally DNF'd it bc I had been listening to the audiobook and was just irritated the whole time.
I got the ebook to try it again, and it was much easier to digest, though I was not a big fan of the cheesy and confusing world building. I also just didn't really care tbh. The best parts of the book were about the characters and their interpersonal interactions, which we didn't get nearly enough of imo.

Then everything went downhill at the 80% mark. I almost DNF'd there, but skipped that chapter bc I couldn't read it through my sobbing. Honestly, I'm pretty angry that's the direction the author chose to go in. I think most people have some hard limits on what they want to read abut in their books, and there are expectations set prior when it comes to romance novels. I'm not sure how nobody thought it was important to mention what happens at the 80% mark in any content warnings I had read prior (was not on storygraph then, but I should have been!). The 80% mark is one of my hard limits and it completely ruined the book I was already undecided on.
Unfortunately, things just got even more cheesy somehow and I was cringing through the last few pages feeling like I was watching a sitcom. I cringed and rolled my eyes through the entire last chapters. 

The letters between the characters, the middle 15% of the book, and the background relationship were the only good parts of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy

The following spoilers are things I wish I knew going into this book, because I probably would not have read the book had I known these things happened.

Right around the 80% mark, Hart decides to go check out a mysterious house that only he can see. It is a known dangerous mission that he had attempted when he was new to the job, which is how he lost his mentor. He decides to go on this mission alone, and this chapter is written with heavy implications of it being a suicide attempt. He has been depressed and lonely since the breakup with the woman he loves and suddenly feels like he knows what to do, so he goes about his day saying kind things to the people he interacts with, returning library books without checking out new ones, doesn't tell anyone where he is going with a bunch of weapons, goes alone to a place that he knows he will be overrun by the enemies, and writes one final letter to Mercy, but keeps it in his pocket. As I said above, its not explicitly written as a suicide attempt, but it's so heavily implied, it doesn't need to be stated outright for it to read that way. He does not make it, and sees his heavily injured body as his spirit floats away. Unfortunately for literally everyone involved (including us readers) he had purchased a funeral package at Birdsall and Sons and Mercy is the acting undertaker. Meaning, while these two are in their third act break up, he dies, his body is found, and it is brought to this poor woman who then has to go through the process of preparing his body for burial while processing all the emotions that lead to this point, both related to their relationship and related to the other stressful parts of her situation. The author dedicates an **entire chapter** to Mercy doing the necessary prepping of a body for burial. This is the only time the author chose to drag out this process. Every other time it is mentioned, they are salting the bodies for preservation and following their will for type or burial. With Hart though, the author slows down the process and puts every single bit of emotion into it as this is the climax of the story. I could not read this chapter. I almost DNF'd the book at this point. I skipped the chapter completely to figure out what happened. Mercy finds the letter in Hart's pocket and he's confessing his love for her in what is very clearly meant to be a suicide note. The chapter after this is Hart in a place of limbo where we learn that because of his demigod status, he has two lives to live and gets to go back to his body. Luckily, because Mercy is exhausted and emotionally distraught, she did not get too far in the post-death process. He ends up coming back to life and the ending is horribly cheesy and does not (imo) make up for the absolute heartbreak (no stupid pun intended ugh) of *that* chapter.

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death

Minor: Death of parent

doahdancer's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content and Blood

katiekeske's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is a very well written, unique romance. The world building flows well and is so interesting. The characters all feel real. I appreciate a lot about the book, but the miscommunication and angst made it take longer than normal for me to read. 

I wouldn't describe this as exactly enemies to lovers since enemies seems like too strong of a word. They have a strong dislike for each other before things change. I don't enjoy when the love interests are mean to each other, so it was hard for me to get through. 

This is a romance with a HEA, but be warned that you will most likely cry a lot before you get there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Violence, Death, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexism

The heroine's sister is pregnant during most of the book, not the heroine. There's lots of death and dead bodies mentioned and described in detail since Mercy works at a funeral home.

katievallin's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexism, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, Cancer, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment

kshertz's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really loved our protagonist Mercy. She’s fierce and I like that  Hart and her have mean nicknames and the banter is great. Plus the side characters are so loveable. I love the world. It’s done so well! I didn’t LOVE the ending twists and turns but I still really think it’s worth the read and the journey regardless

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Blood, and Medical content

popquizliz's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Abandonment, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Infidelity

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Vomit

relin's review

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Amazing world building. Loved the romance. Made me ugly cry and I loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexism, Outing, Cursing, Medical content, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Toxic relationship