3.5 stars - "You've Got Mail" but fantasy should've made this an easier sell to me, but feels like Bannen took "what if 'You've Got Mail' but fantasy?", built up a little world that could stand up on its own, but had grown too attached to the premise to axe it off where she should've. The letters aren't that charming, and the friends-to-lovers transition is by far the weakest part of this novel, and where you see the most seams. And that's a shame! I think both Hart and Mercy are plenty compelling, and the lives they live in the world they help shape and save are quite lovely. I don't think their initial dislike makes any sense, especially as I think they're both too old and too busy with real shit, and I do almost wonder if the secret second-friendship is an attempt to make their relationship a little more interesting. They're cute when they're together.

Like I said, I did like the universe, and found it easy to track the logic off even where I usually feel bogged down in other books. That's always rare to me in fantasy. But this is another book I struggled to complete, and I'm a bit frustrated by it.