'Megan Bannen remains the queen of swoons upon swoons upon swoons! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a playful, quirky gem-full of feels and guaranteed to deliver the perfect grumpy/sunshine fix!' Sierra Simone

From the author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, comes a delightful fantasy with a best friends-to-lovers rom com twist - When Harry Met Sally, but with dragons!

The small town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbour, and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals.

Thankfully, patrolling the magical wilderness of Tanria is a mostly uneventful job these days, but when a footprint that can only be described as dragon-sized, is discover near the body of a dead marshal, the job suddenly becomes a lot more interesting.

Quill, a handsome dracologist is called in from the university to help them investigate, and for the first time since her husband died, Twyla finds herself the flattering focus of an appropriately-aged man's attraction - something that seems to be bothering her longtime best friend, Frank.

Why on earth that should bother Frank, she doesn't know-but her longtime partner sure doesn't seem to care for Quill. As Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along. . .

Praise for Megan Bannen:

'Deeply adorable and heartbreakingly hilarious . . . a bear hug of a book full of wonders and pink dragons' Jayci Lee, author of Nine Tailed

'A truly outstanding romantic fantasy' India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

'Seamlessly blends fantasy, romance, and modern family dynamics, all while making you laugh until you (literally) cry. . . I love this book so much that I would bury bodies for Twyla and Frank so deep no one would ever find them' Lish McBride, author of Rough Around the Hedges

'Romantic, wildly creative, and utterly charming, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a fantasy unlike any I've read before' Lana Harper, author of Payback's a Witch

'The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy broke my heart, put it back together, then tucked me into bed with a forehead kiss. Packed with earnest characters, wit, action, and reluctant yearning, this is easily my favourite fantasy romance of the year' Jen DeLuca, author of Well Met

'A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over' Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

'Megan Bannen remains the queen of swoons upon swoons upon swoons! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a playful, quirky gem-full of feels and guaranteed to deliver the perfect grumpy/sunshine fix!' Sierra Simone

'An unabashedly offbeat adventure' Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

'A lovely, macabre fantasy romance about life, death, and Actually Living. I cried twice and smiled plenty' Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul

'Megan Bannen broke me, made me laugh, then put me back together again. . . The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is one of those books you'll be thinking about long after you've read the last page' Manda Collins



'A little sweet, a little spicy, a little sharp and entirely moreish!' Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer

'I showed up for the fantastic, fun fantasy setting but it was Hart and Mercy that kept me reading' Ruby Dixon, author of Ice Planet Barbarians

'Megan Bannen has found her voice with this incredibly smart, and hilariously weird debut. A must read' Nisha Sharma, author of Dating Dr. Dil

'Warm, compassionate and compelling' Vivian Shaw, author of Strange Practice

About the Author
Megan Bannen is a former librarian and a full-time writer. While most of her professional career has been spent behind the reference desk, she has also sold luggage, written grants, collected a few graduate degrees from various Kansas state universities, and taught English at home and abroad. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, two sons, and a lot of pets.

Reviews
A lovely, macabre fantasy romance about life, death, and Actually Living. I cried twice and smiled plenty -- Olivia Atwater, author of HALF A SOUL
This book is a gooey (and hot!) romance immersed in a tasty layer of quirky fantasy, like some decadent chocolate treat. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little sharp and entirely moreish! I delighted in every lived-in detail of the vibrant world, and relaxed into Bannon's confident wielding of romance beats that made me laugh, cry and exult in true victory. She played my emotions like a harp, and it was beautiful -- Davinia Evans, author of NOTORIOUS SORCERER
With its wonderfully unique setting, lovable characters, and engaging mix of humour and spice, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a truly outstanding romantic fantasy. I loved both its kookiness and its deep authenticity. An instant favourite! -- India Holton, author of THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS
A uniquely charming mixture of whimsy and the macabre that completely won me over. If you ever wished for an adult romance that felt like Howl's Moving Castle, THIS IS THAT BOOK -- Helen Hoang, author of THE KISS QUOTIENT
Perfect for readers who love enemies-to-lovers mashed up with a touch of secret penpal romance. I showed up for the fantastic, fun fantasy setting but it was Hart and Mercy that kept me reading -- Ruby Dixon, author of ICE PLANET BARBARIANS
If Lewis Carroll and Nora Ephron teamed up to write a magical Western, this would be the result. An unabashedly offbeat adventure full of dead gods and mostly-dead zombies, family drama, swoon-worthy love letters, and a Very Good Dog, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy oozes romantic fun like a corpse oozes dubious fluids. -- Freya Marske, author of A MARVELLOUS LIGHT
Warm, compassionate and compelling -- Vivian Shaw, author of STRANGE PRACTICE
Megan Bannen remains the queen of swoons upon swoons upon swoons! The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a playful, quirky gem-full of feels and guaranteed to deliver the perfect grumpy/sunshine fix! -- Sierra Simone
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy broke my heart, put it back together, then tucked me into bed with a forehead kiss. Packed with earnest characters, wit, action, and reluctant yearning, this is easily my favourite fantasy romance of the year -- Jen DeLuca, author of WELL MET
Megan Bannen broke me, made me laugh, then put me back together again. . . The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is one of those books you'll be thinking about long after you've read the last page -- Manda Collins
Romantic, wildly creative, and utterly charming, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a fantasy unlike any I've read before. . . an absolutely stunning story -- Lana Harper, author of PAYBACK'S A WITCH
Megan Bannen has found her voice with this incredibly smart, and hilariously weird debut. A must read -- Nisha Sharma, author of DATING DR. DIL
Megan Bannen's writing is deeply adorable and heartbreakingly hilarious. Life is hard. Do yourself a favour and read The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. It's a bear hug of a book full of wonders and pink dragons -- Jayci Lee, author of Nine Tailed
Seamlessly blends fantasy, romance, and modern family dynamics, all while making you laugh until you (literally) cry. . . I love this book so much that I would bury bodies for Twyla and Frank so deep no one would ever find them -- Lish McBride, author of ROUGH AROUND THE HEDGES



Book Information
ISBN 9780356521923
Author Megan Bannen
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Orbit
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 126mm * 22mm