Thank you to #NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to recieve an ARC for The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. I really enjoyed the first book, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I was hopeful for this book.
The book tells the story of Twlya and Frank, who are Tanria Marshalls, partner and also best friends. One day a dragon is found, which begins a story of mystery, and some romance. The journey makes Twyla and Frank question their friendship, along with their feelings for each other.
Overall I did like the story, but I had a hard time rooting for the characters. I felt that the characters needed more interaction to create the romantic tension between them. I also wanted more from the mystery part of the story, I felt that it was introduced too late in the book and rushed though at the very end. It was a good book, I just wanted more from it because I enjoyed the first one so much.
#TheUnderminingofTwylaandFrank #NetGalley

A delightful read perfect for fans of lighthearted, adventurous romances who crave a friends-to-lovers story with a touch of fantasy and humor, as it follows the heartwarming journey of two unlikely partners as they navigate a thrilling mystery and discover the true meaning of love and belonging.

4.75 🌟

This was the perfect romantasy!

Is there anything better than opening up a book and finding out there are DRAGONS?! .... I didn't think so. This book was so unique with side characters I loved (and then hated). Throw a mystery in and it was perfect. While this book could be a stand alone, you should go read Hart and Mercy first.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I’m melting.

This book was everything I needed. Megan paints a picture of a strange and magical world full of unique characters and experiences. The story and the characters are so real and well developed that, if you are anything like me, you will form an emotional attachment to. You have a distinct voice for every character and they are so easy to love.

This rom com is unlike most that I have read, the main characters are older and have lived through most of life’s big milestones and I think that’s makes this novel even more of a treasure. This is a book that talks about love in the form of friendship and security. Plus there are dragons.

If you haven’t read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy you can still read this one separate but I think reading it first will have a greater impact since you’ll know some of the characters a bit better. If you like strange quirky characters, a unique world, delightful side characters, comedy, and baby dragons I think you should give this a try. Friends to lovers done right, 10/10 will be buying when released and rereading.

Thank you to Net Galley, Orbit, and Megan Bannen for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review!

This was such a fun book and it was so so fun being back in Tanria and Eternity. I was initially turned off by the (what felt like) constant body talk but came to appreciate it for what it was: a 53 year old woman learning to appreciate her changing body. I think Hart and Mercy is superior, but this was packed with heart and Mary Georgina is a character for the ages.

4/5 ⭐️

Such a unique story! And LOVEDDDD the fact that this is a romantasy with main characters over 30????

I think the girlies are going to eat this one up. I will say that for younger readers this might not be the one for you but hey don’t let it stop you from reading it!

Also yes there is spice :)

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

4.75 ⭐️

I love this series so much. If you’re looking for a unique romance, set it a magical land, look no further.

Twyla, a Tanrian Marshal, is out on patrol with her partner Frank when they come across an unusual death of a fellow marshal. As they investigate, they find themselves in the middle a whole brood of dragons.

This book has it all - good friendships, parent/child relationships, quirky side characters, and enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. So glad I snagged a copy of this one on @netgalley!

I want to so badly give this three stars but OPE, I just can’t freaking do it and my disappointed scathing review is loading right now.

AHHHHHHHH!!! *screaming in disappointment*

I loved Hart and Mercy. That book has a grip on me in unspeakable ways and when I saw Twyla and Frank my expectations of returning to this world were way too damn high for what was delivered to me.

A single POV friends to lovers love triangle.

The absolute horror.

I’m not saying this cannot be done, I’m saying it was not done in an engaging and amazing way here. The romance feels nonexistent in this book until it just suddenly appears, at which point I was so annoyed with having to watch the heroine date someone else I was more exasperated than giddy excited.

And then we get to the dragons.

In this story, we are faced with this half baked crime with dragons that is so boring I put the book down more times than I could count. Its DRAGONS. How is it possible for them to be so…lame? They felt very jokey and glittery and pink and I just couldn’t take this book seriously in a bad way.

And then has the most disappointing let down of an ending, I kid you not, I was absolutely fuming. Is this an adult book or is it a Scooby Doo middle grade book?!

AHHHHHHHH!!! *screaming in disappointment*

5 stars. The fact that The Undermining of Twyla and Frank featured TWO tropes that I absolutely loathe (love triangle and miscommunication), yet I still couldn't put it down, is a testament to how damn good it was. And if the heart-warming friendship turned romance between Twyla and Frank wasn't enough, there's also a baby dragon. So you know... that pretty much guarantees 5 stars from me.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank can absolutely be read as a standalone. There are some cameos from characters in the first book, but to be fair, when I heard that Bannen was writing a book for Twyla and Frank, my first response was, "who"? So yes, these books are related, but definitely also standalones. I love love LOVE the world that Bannen created. I hope that she continues to pen more books set in Tanria/ Eternity. I loved that there was a bit of a mystery/ bad guy situation going on, which, really surprised me... in the best of ways. I love the Jurassic Park vibes this one gave, but substitute dinosaurs for dragons. And I really really really loved Twyla and Frank. And truly appreciate that they had just the sweetest relationship, even before things got romantic. Truly, they are friendship goals. I also love that this book featured a romance between characters in their 50s! Yes, people! We need more middle age romance! The book was told 100% from Twyla's point of view, and I think she expressed A LOT of sentiments that basically any woman, regardless of their background or circumstances, could relate to. Yes, I'm not a fan of the love triangle or miscommunication tropes, but I trusted Bannen to get us there, and in the end, she delivered! I also felt that the miscommunication really made sense for where the characters were... it didn't just feel like a plot point to dredge up drama, but it felt authentic to the story itself and was born of love and fear. And who can fault that?

All in all, I loved this book. I love this world. And I love this series. I really hope that Bannen continues (there are some more Tanrian marshals/ demigods that I would LOVE to have their own story). Thank you so much to Bannen, Orbit, and Netgalley for hooking me up with an ARC of this one. I absolutely recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5/5 stars

This was one of my most anticipated books the the year and while I didn't love it quite as much as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I still loved it. It was cozy and cute and fun and definitely had me laughing out loud. Plus....DRAGONS! Who doesn't love dragons?

I really appreciated that this book not only focused on middle-aged MCs (Frank and Twyla are both in their 50s), but Bannen gives them realistic flaws and a beautiful love story. One is widowed, the other's spouse left them; they're both parents to grown children and experiencing the changes to ones body that happens with age; and....they're falling in love. So many novels focus on kids and teenagers and 20-somethings....even skipping over into the crones and the ancients.....but that middle age group gets overlooked or shoved into the supporting cast more often than not. I adore Frank and Twyla for their experience, their quirks, their uniqueness....and so appreciate Bannen for making them the leads.

While I didn't connect with this one quite as much as the first in the series, I still loved it. It was super well written, it had great representation, and the characters were amazing as always. I love dragons, I love humor, and I'm always here for a heart-filled friends to lovers and this hits on all those counts. I think any lover of cozy fantasy will love this!

I was originally hesitant to review The Undermining of Twyla and Frank because I didn’t want my love of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy to inadvertently negatively impact Twyla and Frank. I am so happy to report it has no impact on my love of this book. It was so gloriously silly, clever, heartfelt, and fun to read. I loved that Twyla and Frank were in their fifties. I loved Twyla’s “Momness” as Duckers so aptly named it. I loved Hart and Mercy’s limited cameos. I loved Mary Georgina. I loved that Frank never treated Twyla as a chair. I loved the epilogue. In short I loved this book and cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for access to this arc.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was a delightful revelation to me so I was super keen to read the follow up book, The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. This book benefited from my familiarity with the world from the previous book. I struggled just a little to catch on to the worldbuilding in the first book but I slid right in here. (I would not recommend starting with this book – read Hart and Mercy first; it’s great also.)

I liked the way Bannen added to the world she'd created – I especially enjoyed the part about religion and, of course, Hart and Mercy’s wedding.

Unlike Hart and Mercy, Twyla and Frank is told only from Twyla’s (third person) perspective. We only see Frank through her eyes. Still, it was pretty obvious to this seasoned romance reader how Frank felt about her. It took an astounding amount of time for Twyla to see it. However, the book does set up very well all the reasons for her lack of perception.

I did find Twyla’s cynicism and discontent a little wearing at times. She didn’t want to be a chair for anyone but she allowed herself to be treated that way. While Doug was alive it was most probably unrealistic for her to be able to change him but afterwards? I think she had a lot more agency than she gave herself credit for. I understood her feelings and even sympathised a lot of the time but I also became a little impatient with her too. Apart from anything else, Frank never did and never would treat her like a chair and he was right there.

I enjoyed all the dragon lore – which was very different to any I’ve read before, I loved the humour of the book, the way Twyla and Frank sang bad songs to each other with their whole chests that made Duckers cringe, Duckers’ enthusiasm for all things Marshal. I liked the introduction of a new Marshal. I think we will see more of her and Duckers too. At least, I hope so.

I liked that this is a romance featuring people who are in (past?) middle-age, with all the sagging and drooping and softening that usually comes with it.

I found myself eager to read Twyla and Frank and smiling a lot of the time as I enjoyed their banter and the dragons. The subplot involving Marshal Herd’s death and the dragons went somewhere unexpected. I laughed out loud at the Scooby-Doo reference.

This series is unlike anything else I’ve ever read in the world-building department and it also delivers on the romance end of things. Recommended. B+

2.5/5. No one is more upset about this rating than I am. I completely adored The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy and found it so charming. It was one of my favorite books I read last year, and this one was by far of of my most anticipated releases of 2024. I went back and forth about rating this higher, but if I’m completely honest with myself, the negatives of this book far outweigh the positives.

The biggest offense: this is a book about dragons that is BORING. Even the dragons themselves are somehow boring. I was pretty close to DNF-ing this at one because I simply did not care about anything happening.

A lot of the writing and dialogue also made me cringe a lot. Some of it felt like a boomer trying to appeal to millennials (especially with Duckers). The first book had characters that felt like cartoon characters too, but something about it felt really endearing whereas this one just…didn’t. Part of might be Twyla as a character. I did like her overall, but a lot of the points about her (she’s middle aged, but she’s a badass! She’s had to do everything without any help from men!) were really yelled at the reader throughout the book over and over again.

Twyla and Frank’s relationship was the one saving grace and why I didn’t completely hate this, but it took a long time to get there. I felt like they were barely together the first half of the book and I felt no chemistry between them, but I grew to love them together.

Lastly, I think the law enforcement aspect with digestible for me because it was so focused on essentially being law enforcement against zombies. It was harder for me to ignore in this one and just reminded me that I really don’t want to read books about cops (even in a fantasy world).

I still have a lot of love for Hart & Mercy (and love that we got to see them in this one too) so I’m open to reading another book in this series if there will be a third. That said, if it’s about Duckers and Zeddie, I don’t know if I really want to see Megan Bannen tackle an MM romance between two 21 year olds.

Very, very sad to have to give this review, but I still appreciate the chance to read this ARC, and it doesn’t diminish my love for the first book.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen
Release Date: 7/2/24
Rating: LOVED it!

I was a big fan of The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy and was so thrilled to get an advanced copy of book two of this series! I highly recommend this book for the following reasons:

💜 Friends to Lovers
🐉 Baby dragons!!!
🪑 Themes of female worth outside their family
🗣️ Actual middle aged loved interests!!

This book was just fabulous and I adored it so much. The actual mystery kept me engaged as well which was surprising because cozy mysteries aren’t always my jam. A fun romp through & through! Thank you for the advanced copy @netgalley!

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is a sweet and cozy fantasy with dragons, romance, and donuts.

Twyla is a middle-age mom of three. After the death of her husband, she joined the Tanrian Marshals, much to everyone's surprise. Her partner, Frank, is a middle aged divorced dad, and the pair have spent the last eight years fighting the undead in the Mists of Tanria. While on patrol one evening, they came across a mysterious death, a ton of glitter, and a huge footprint. Turns out, dragons exist in Tanria, and one has taken a liking to Frank. The pair must work with the Marshals to keep the dragons a secret, while also hoping they don't pose a threat to the rest of the humans in Eternity. When a sinister plot that threatens the safety of Tanria, and the discovery of the dragons is in danger, Frank and Twyla must work closer than ever, and weigh what is more important - their true feelings for each other or their longstanding friendship.

I really enjoyed this book! As the follow up to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I was glad to be back in Eternity with some familiar characters. I also enjoyed reading a story about an older, mature couple - so many books in this genre are about a first love or forever love for very young characters, and it was refreshing to break out of that a bit to see a widow and a divorcee find a new chance at love. The friends to lovers story was also nice, as it showed how these characters came to love each other in different ways, long before romantic love was part of their relationship. Parts of this story had me laughing out loud, especially with the baby dragon imprinting on Frank, Duckers and his lack of a filter, and the mail carrying hedgehog, Hermia. This was a cozy story that was a little less macabre then Book 1, but still has many of the same elements and humor. The story meandered at times, and while the romance was central, the other plot lines seemed to blend somewhat into the background. But it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this enjoyable advanced read! All opinions are my own.

I loved this sweet slow-burn romantasy between Twyla and Frank. It is so rare to come across books where both love interests are in their 50’s. It was refreshingly real to follow these two as they worked through everyday hurdles like family obligations and jobs. I loved this second book in this world and the peek into the lives of the characters of the first book. Thank you so much for the ARC provided by Orbit Books and NetGalley.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is an entertaining, cozy fantasy story. Megan Bannen creates an amazing world featuring older main characters (and dragons!), and goes lighter on some of the romance elements.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Twyla and Frank are Tanrian marshals who’ve worked together for years, along with being lifelong friends. Work is a lot quieter now that no one is out to capture souls anymore, though. Until one of their coworkers ends up dead and covered in gooey, glittery slime next to a massive footprint. Then dragons enter the chat, and Twyla and Frank are back at full speed. But as they run around trying figure out exactly what’s going on, will they also discover that their long-standing friendship is something more?

Megan Bannen sets this story in the same world as the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but it is a slightly different style of book. I love that the main characters are older, and the story showcase their experiences. Twyla was especially relatable for me, and it’s nice to see mom power gets its due. The world building is fantastic, and it’s fun to revisit favorite characters, especially Duckers.

This is a difficult book for me to rate. There are lots of wonderful, cozy fantasy elements, but the romance isn’t front and center. In fact, Twyla and Frank aren’t even in the same place for parts of the story, which is a little tougher to navigate because we never get Frank’s POV. Since this is a slow burn, friends to lovers story, it slows the entire plot too.

While this book has less emotional heft than Hart and Mercy, I enjoyed it. Twyla and Frank’s story is stronger on its own, and not when it’s being compared to other books. Megan Bannen is an expert at fantasy world building, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read The Undermining of Twyla and Frank if you love:
✨ (Best) friends-to-lovers romance
✨ Dragons
✨ Glitter
✨ A kickass heroine
✨ Unique world building

I enjoyed this! There were some rather intense moments I wasn't totally expecting, but I wasn't too worried about it, and everything ended up okay. This book takes place in the same universe as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and you do hear from some characters from that book. However, I feel that this book really stands on its own, and you don't necessarily need to read Hart and Mercy's story before reading this one.

The plot was fun and different. On top of the romance, there's some sort of mysterious scheme afoot, and the Tanrian marshals stumble into the middle of it when the body of one of their comrades turns up out of nowhere, very dead and covered in glitter. As Frank and Twyla deal with the fallout, they're only left with more questions and bigger problems. When they inadvertently capture the attention of a crime ring, things take an unexpectedly serious turn, with a villain they could never have expected.

While sharing the same world and a few of the same characters, Undertaking and Undermining are both very much their own books. In Undermining, the POV is from Twyla Banneker, a middle-aged, widowed woman in her fifties who is also a mother and grandmother(!). Twyla and her best friend, Frank Ellis, have both been previously married (and not totally happily) and carry the emotional scars from those marriages. I believe that Megan does an excellent job of exploring the universal experience of being a woman--in general, but also more specifically, a wife and mother who ALWAYS puts everyone else's needs above her own. She's done plenty of learning in her life already, but over the course of the book she really starts to examine things in a different light, prioritize herself, and push back on the constant well-intentioned but clueless demands from her family. As someone who has also been the "chair" for other people like Twyla was, that really resonated with me.

Additionally, I really appreciate Megan Bannen's world building! The lore is interesting, and she manages to create settings that feel truly unique. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE high fantasy (and romantasy in general), but sometimes they can start to feel a little repetitive. It is so refreshing to read these because I haven't really read anything like this before. It takes place in a world that is similar enough to our own, with a cozy, nostalgic feel: folks use letters or walk on their own two feet to deliver messages to other people; they listen to radios; they live in a small(ish) town where everyone knows each other. These things are familiar, comfortable, simple. However, there are also plenty of fantastical elements: bootleg, janky portals to Tanria (which I can't help but picture as a bit like the world in The Lorax), and equimaris (water horse) steeds, and demigods just living among regular people.

All in all, this was another excellent read! Thank you to Megan Bannen, NetGalley, and Orbit Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is just as charming as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy! It is set in the same universe as the first one but with different characters. You don’t really have to read the first one to read the second but I still recommend it. If you like a little romance story with a bit of action and comedy then this is for you!

This book is so sweet. It has action, of course, since the main characters are Marshalls, but it’s also a big hug. The characters are instantly likable and the story is well crafted. It has just enough characters from the last book to make you happy to see their return but the book has its own unique story. I love the older vibes. And I love the addition of (*spoilers*)!