4.5 Stars

This was such a great fun read! I loved it so much. Twila and Frank are my new favorite characters. Megan Bannen's creativity is top notch! This had a little of everything, mystery, spice, bad guys, dragons, humor, and even a talking mail delivering hedgehog. This was a surprising delight and I can't wait to read more from this author. The narrator did an amazing job! She nailed the voices, especially the hedgehog voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the opportunity to read this book.

***Thank you to Orbit Books for providing a copy of The Undermining of Twyla and Frank via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I'm not sure that I can put into words how much I loved reading The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. I enjoyed its predecessor, too, but this book was even better. The world-building and the way its elements were utilized felt more refined, and the plot was tighter. I'm also just a bigger fan of dragons than zombies. So, the magical creatures in this one appealed to me more.

Speaking of the dragons, I have never wanted to snuggle a dragon more than while I was reading The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. They were so stinking cute. I really enjoyed getting to experience such a fun and unique take on this creature. The new nimkilim mail carriers were adorable this time around, too. Although, nothing could beat the grumpy owl and foul-mouthed, drunk rabbit from the first book.

Unsurprisingly, the characters in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank were absolutely delightful. Twyla was such a MOM, but she was also so much more. I appreciated getting her perspective on what it was like to be a middle-aged mom who wanted more out of life than to be the person everyone relied on. Her frustration and her desire for independence were compelling. She had a great character arc of figuring out how to pursue a love connection without having it consume her life and individuality.

I was happy to see that Duckers was once again a big part of the story in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. He was one of my favorite things about the first book. I really hope he continues to be a re-occurring side character in future books. He has such a fun personality and always adds a ton of hilarious banter to whatever scene he is in.

I'm always a sucker for a best friends to lovers romance, and The Undermining of Twyla and Frank did a great job with the trope. Twyla and Frank had such a beautiful friendship. The development of their relationship into a romantic one was paced really well. Both of them worried that a romantic entanglement would ruin what they already had together. I enjoyed reading about how they moved past their fears and built a relationship that worked for both of them.

Overall, The Undermining of Twyla and Frank was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far. The characters were delightful and had compelling arcs. The dragons were unique and so adorable, and the plot and relationships kept me engaged. I do recommend reading the other book in the series to get the full impact of some very heart-warming moments. However, this story can work as a standalone. All things considered, I rate The Undermining of Twyla and Frank 5 out of 5 stars.

Megan Bannen did it again. I loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and I had such high hopes for Twyla and Frank, and this book was everything I wanted it to be. I loved getting back into Tanria with both new and old friends. If The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy had You've Got Mail Vibes, this had some When Harry Met Sally Vibes...

I loved seeing the relationship between Twyla and Frank grow throughout the book. They were great MCs for this book, with Duckers thrown in for some additional humor. Also, Mary Georgina was the best addition to this book. If there is another book, she better make an appearance! But seriously, can we have a third book specifically about Duckers?

I wasn't sure where the author was going to go with a sequel since Hart and Mercy wrapped up quite nicely, but I loved the dragon storyline. The author did a great job keeping me engaged in the story. I was very surprised by who ended up being the villain and ended up laughing out loud by the entire reveal.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this book, but I'd definitely suggest reading The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy first.

Read if you enjoy:
- Low Stakes Fantasy
- Best Friends to Lovers
- Dragons
- When Harry Met Sally

I really really liked this book! Just like The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I feel like the world and magic are more interesting to me even though the romance has an equal weight given to it. The world is just very unique and I like learning all of the little details. In this one we got to see a wedding ceremony and I thought that the vows were very sweet and made sense given what we know of the religion. I also really like learning about the old gods vs. the new gods and how Tanria came to be.

As for the romance, I loved that both of the characters were in their 50's. You don't often see people who have adult children as the main characters in a romance and I really liked all of the details we got to see about their individual families. Unlike the first book which has point of view chapters from both Hart and Mercy, this book is all in Twyla's perspective. I do wish we had also gotten Franks point of view but it didn't feel missing, I just prefer romances to have multiple POVs.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and am looking forward to any future installments!

“ʏᴏᴜ’ᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀɪʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ.”

I was a little curious how the story between Frank and Twyla would work out. They just seemed so solid in their friendship but this book absolutely took us there!

I really deeply appreciated the honest view that Twyla had of her own independence and the roles that women get cast into. Twyla was so relatable for her rage and desire for freedom. I also loved the way that Frank loved her. Quietly and supportive in the best ways. I do think he should have been more open and honest in his feelings because Twyla might have been in denial but he wasn’t. This was such a fantastic sequel and I can’t wait for the next one!!

This series is perfect for fantasy romance lovers! The world building is incredible and the characters are swoon worthy!

I was so excited to see that there was a sequel to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy as this was one of my favorites. Getting to go back into the world of Tanria was so fun. The nimkilim remain my favorite and is such a fun aspect to add to the story. It was exciting getting to meet another nimkilim, Hermia (though without spoiling anything, I can’t elaborate more) and having an appearance with Bassareus and Horatio! I’m not going to lie, I didn’t get really into this one until around 40% or so but once I did, it was easy to get sucked into the story.

We also learn more about the Gods of their world which I really enjoyed. Twyla’s character goes through a lot of growth with not only allowing someone else into her love life after the passing of her husband 10+ years ago, but becoming more comfortable with who she is and is still becoming as she ages.

The baby dragon that bonds with Frank was cute and I enjoyed the time we got to spend with them throughout the story. The romance was very cute friends to lovers who are 50+, which was a first for me. I really enjoyed seeing Twyla come to terms with her feelings and opening up to Frank who was obviously smitten with her as the story goes on. It was pretty slow though in my opinion and I wish we would have gotten more for their story.

I really hope we get to read Ducker’s story soon but I’m definitely excited for Rosie’s story in book 3! Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the arc!

I enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I was drawn to request this title. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time getting into this one, and I'm not sure if it's because I attempted to read it during a slump or if it just isn't for me. Either way, I DNF'd for now, but I'm hoping to give it another go.

I loved this book so much! "The Undermining of Twyla and Frank" is a quirky, cozy fantasy romance that hooked me from the start. Twyla and Frank are best friends and Tanrian Rangers with retirement plans... until they find a baby dragon. Frank bonds with the dragon, a dracologist shows up, and suddenly Twyla's life gets complicated. The slow-burn romance between Twyla and Frank is heartwarming, with plenty of cute moments and a few surprises. Megan Bannen's world is fun and original, filled with lovable characters and lots of humor. If you want a feel-good read with a touch of magic, grab this book!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!! I need to yell here because I had issues with the first book and only read this second book because I had to review it for NetGalley. I prepared myself to DNF if the second book did to this friends to lovers plot what the first book did for the enemies/liars to lovers plot. But I give credit where it’s due and I loved everything about this book. I loved the cover. I loved the glitter vomiting dragons. I loved the mature main characters and their bond. I loved the discussions about the pressures on women when they get married and have children. And, again, I loved the dragons!
*Thanks to Orbit books and NetGalley for the ebook review copy

I LOVED this book. I love being in this world again, and I loved all of the new characters. Just perfect.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan by Megan Bannen is the second book in the fantasy romance series, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. I highly suggest reading them in order. I read the first one and I’m thankful that I did. There is some carryover from the first book. It would be enjoyable on its own but would give away some of the events in book 1.

Twyla and Frank are 50+ year old best friends. They serve as Tanrian Marshals together keeping everyone safe. Twyla, a widow and Frank, a divorcee, have been next door neighbors in Eternity for years. Their job has become pretty uneventful until they discover a dragon’s nest. There haven’t been dragons on Tanria for years, if ever. This discovery and the arrival of the draconologist, Quill Vanderlinden, causes quite the commotion. They get entangled in the investigation of where these dragons came from and discover that their soulmates might have been next door all these years.

Thanks NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advanced reader copy.

This book is the follow up to “the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy,” following two different characters in the same world. I 100% get why these books are popular. The characters are charming and the writing is really good. However, for some odd reason, I just find them a little boring and hard to get through quickly. I just don’t think the cozy fantasy genre is for me but I do recommend the series if it looks interesting. Received through NetGalley.

Oh my goodness. 5/5 WHOLE STARS.

Twyla and Frank have my heart. This book was just similar enough in vibes, but just different enough in plot to match book one, which I also ADORED!!!

Read this- you wont be disappointed!

This book was so sweet- I loved that Twyla and Frank know themselves and know each other but are missing the love that’s right in front of their noses! I appreciated that this was kind of a workplace romance with a fantastical twist and I loved getting to learn more about the wider Tanrian world to build on Hart + Mercy. I felt like Twyla’s story was so relatable as a woman and I was rooting for her to find the joy she deserved so hard!

Twyla is on a journey of self-discovery to be more than a law enforcement officer, a mother, a grandmother, and a best friend.  She needs to reckon with her unresolved pain from the past to embrace living on her own terms and not sticking to what has worked in the past out of fear. This fantasy romcom is has all this poingaint self actualization against a backdrop of not-so-extinct dragons, their glitter spit, and some life-threatening hijinks.  A really fun read.

thank you publisher and netgalley for the eGalley!

This was just what I needed! I loved coming back to this world! The characters, the pacing, and the premise were all executed well. I am looking forward to the next installment!

thank you to netgalley for a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars!
this book was so fun! i had a blast reading, genuinely funny (takes a lot for me to genuinely giggle out loud and this had me laughing), heartwarming, cozy, and just all around a good time. the writing is fantastic, so much so that the characters/banter that i would normally find annoying i actually loved and could not get enough. the chemistry and banter was so organic, megan bannen did a great job with twyla and frank. their relationship was written very well. friends to lovers is not my favorite trope but it's definitely climbing up the ranks with this book. i didn't read the first one before reading this one and i'm seriously regretting it. you definitely dont need to read the first one to enjoy this one but for sure i'm going back to read hart and mercy's story. i would've loved this story without the dragons but they were just icing on the cake. this was such a feel good cozy fantasy and i definitely recommend. not gonna lie it was a little slow to start but once i got into it i completely devoured it, i'm almost mad at myself that i didn't get into it sooner

As I cracked open this book, the question foremost in my mind was whether it could possibly be as good as the first book, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, was. That book easily landed a spot in my top books of 2022 and took me completely by surprise.

I'm happy to answer my question with a resounding yes. This book is different from the first, but just as good. And, there are DRAGONS! Honestly it doesn't get much better than that.

The romance was again a slow burn although less intense then in the first book. Twyla and Frank were both in their 50's and had a lot of life experience, a lot of baggage to work through, and a somewhat understandable fear of messing up their incredibly close and supportive friendship by adding a romance into the mix. I only wish we'd gotten a few scenes from Frank's POV as they were wonderful main characters.

Once again, Megan Bannen absolutely nailed the cozy fantasy vibe, but really, as far as I'm concerned all that matters is the dragons. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Last year or the year before I stumbled across The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and fell in love with Meg Bannen’s romantasy world. She was ahead of the trend, if I do say so myself!

When the Undermining of Twyla and Frank was announced, I knew I had to request an arc. So thank you Orbit for letting me read this early (and I’m sorry I’m a few days late for this review. Forgive me!!)

Falling back into the world of Eternity & Tanria almost felt like coming home. I was hooked from page one, attached to both new and familiar faces (some more familiar than others, hello to you Duckers!!), and dragged along for the BEST and most fun time I’ve had reading a book in a long time.

Megan writes her characters so well you can’t help but fall in love with each and every one of them (and in this book’s case, even the villain. Sorry not sorry).

With Undermining, I laughed and I cried, and found myself relating so well to our main character Twyla. Despite her being in her early 50s, I feel like many women her age and even younger will relate to her fears about marriage and starting a family. She was strong, resilient, and ever so lovable.

If you love how to train your dragon as much as I did, you will LOOOVEEE this book!!

I just saw the announcement yesterday that we will be revisiting this world and getting to know Rosie Fox - I am SO beyond excited!

This was such a fun read!

I loved the world in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy so I was excited to get to spend more time there. You also get to revisit some characters from the first book which I enjoyed.

I really liked Twyla as a character. It was refreshing to have an older protagonist especially in a romance. We don’t get to know Frank quite as well since we don’t get chapters in his POV. I generally prefer a dual POV for a romance however, in this case I don’t think it really detracted from the story for the whole thing to be in Twyla’s POV.

There was a moment of denial towards the last quarter of the book that didn’t really work for me. Maybe it was just me but it felt unrealistic and like creating unnecessary conflict. Other than that one blip this was a really fun read and I hope we get more in this world!

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.