It’s evening at The Grimoire Cafe. The windows are open and you can still smell the sunshine on the quickly cooling breeze. The sun has just fallen behind the buildings, casting the street beyond the windows in blues and purples. Inside the cafe, various lamps are illuminating circles of warm white light on tables and over the backs of chairs. The barista, Tini, is lighting candles in votives on the remaining tables. There’s plenty of light to read by, but it’s shadowed in a way that your wingback chair feels private in a cozy, safe kind of way that makes you forget the rest of the world exists—which is perfect because you are on a Book Date. Coffee by your side, steaming gently (a donut latte, recipe at the end of the post), it’s just you and the characters in the book you’re about to finish. It’s the final chapter and you have to remind yourself not to read too quickly in a rush to find out how it ends…

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen was a complete and total DELIGHT!

Start to finish, it was unexpected, weird (in subtle and very cool ways), sexy, thoughtful, complex, and completely digestible. I thought about this book long after I finished reading it.

Hart and Mercy do not like each other.

And here’s the thing, I like the idea of enemies/rivals-to-lovers as a trope, but I have a hard time believing it. Either the couple’s beef with one another feels too shallow, or one of the characters (usually the guy, let’s be real) is too much of a dick for me to root for. That was not the case here. I believed and understood completely the reasons Mercy and Hart did not mesh upon first meeting. Their enemy status didn’t feel contrived, it felt real and relatable—and yet I still liked them both tremendously! It’s a tightrope to walk, making the characters not like each other but ensuring the reader still likes them and is rooting for them, and Megan Bannen did it in spades. Bravo!

Other things I loved about this book:

1. The fantasy elements were deftly woven and introduced over the course of the book so you A) accepted them with only a pleasant moment of “wait did I read that right?” and B) enjoyed the deepening weirdness. It felt like being let in on a secret.
2. The romance between Hart and Mercy took a while to develop but once it did, BOOM! Hold on tight because these two are INTO IT. The story struck a delicious level of sexiness. The steamy scenes were expertly crafted, leaving some, but not too much, to the imagination.
3. The resolution was A+ satisfying. I closed the book and just grinned when I was finished.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is perfect for fantasy and romantasy readers alike. Strong characters, deftly detailed worldbuilding, excitement, adventure, romance, and coziness, make this book re-readable. That’s high praise (I very rarely re-read a book, but I’m considering re-reading this one.)

Weekly Special – Iced Donut Latte

Donuts make various appearances in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so this is the perfect drink for this week’s special!

It’s going to be a choose-your-own coffee adventure recipe today. The recipe below is one I’ve tried, but there is another way to make this that sounds absolutely amazing! It takes more work, but I bet it’s totally worth it. There’s a video explaining the complicated version here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BVEQYFo78/

I haven’t tried the complicated version yet, mainly because gluten-free donuts are very difficult to find (and so expensive when you do) so I haven’t yet had the opportunity. But all of you who can enjoy the chewy deliciousness of gluten without searing pain, please give this method a try and tell me all about it because I’m dying to know how it is!

Tini is offering both versions at The Grimoire Cafe so you really can’t go wrong 😉

For the simple (gluten free) version of this recipe, you’ll need…

• A double shot of your favorite espresso (I prefer a light roast for this, but it’s up to you!)
• 6-8 oz of your favorite milk
• A combination of as many of the following syrups as you like, to taste: Shortbread, birthday cake, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, or a donut-flavored syrup. (You can also add a fruit-flavored syrup if you want to make, say, a blueberry donut latte.)
• Ice

In your favorite tumbler, combine espresso, syrup(s), and milk. Stir to combine. Add ice to your preference. Enjoy!

Tips:

• When I made this, I kept it simple with vanilla and shortbread syrups which was delightful, but while researching for this recipe, I found other recommendations, so I included them too.
• 1 pump each will keep this from getting too sweet, but it’s your latte. Go coffee syrup wild if you wish!

As always, if you try this out at home or at your favorite local coffee joint, I’d love to know! You can tag me on Instagram (@elle.beauregard.author), BlueSky (@ellebeauregard.bsky.social) or comment here! 💜