Description

‘Megan Bannen has created a world that you’ll never want to leave and characters that will carve a spot into your heart. This series is playfully unique, delightfully steamy, utterly romantic, and overall unmissable!’ Ali Hazelwood

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

The town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, her career remains a welcome change from the domestic grind of mum life.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) the job is a lot safer these days. . . and a lot less exciting. So when Twyla and Frank find a glitter-covered body near a dragon-sized footprint, they’re ready to be back in action.

Soon, a handsome scientist arrives to assist with the investigation. To Twyla’s delight and Frank’s consternation, Dr. Quill Vanderlinden finds Twyla as fascinating as the newly discovered dragons.

As Twyla and Frank are drawn deeper into a nefarious plot with more twists than a Tanrian mineshaft, danger closes in on all sides. Will their easy friendship survive the adventure or is it about to ignite into something more?

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

Publisher Review

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