The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was one of my top five favorite books that I read in 2023. Needless to say, when I saw that Bannen was writing another book in the same universe, I was chomping at the bit. Normally, I am all about some enemies to lovers, making friends to lovers one of my least favorite tropes. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank has swayed me to the wholesome side. To be known so deeply and not only accepted, but cherished by the person who has seen you in all shades of your glory, especially in later years of life, is quite special. The novel was delightfully sweet, funny, and just an overall cozy read. And best of all it has the most whimsical DRAGONS I have ever heard of. Get excited y’all. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is coming at ya hot on July 2nd.

I really enjoyed reading this sequel featuring Twyla and Frank. This was a friends to lovers slow burn romance with dragons that brought to mind When Harry Met Sally, How to Train a Dragon and Zootopia.

I loved that Twyla is post menopausal and how that plays a factor in some aspects of her life. I loved how she and Frank finally get the HEA together. And, I really loved how ALL of the female characters were a little bad ass in their own way - momma dragons and hedgehogs include.

My only issue was related to Twyla's emotional reaction to an incident that involved Frank. She breaks down when she thinks he's been killed. Frank does the same thing in a latter scene with Twyla. But some how Twyla never thinks of how she reacted and it's never mentioned again when she's grappling with what she wants for herself and her future.

There were so many laugh out loud moments between the cast of characters that I lost count. I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series and I really hope it's Pen's.

Now I just want to buy some grape soda, Whoppers candy and some donuts before I watch the movies this brought to mind as I was reading. And maybe also watch a few episodes of Scooby Doo cartoons. And maybe do some arts and crafts with some glitter.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing the ebook arc of this book. Okay, goodbye. Bye.

Thank you Orbit Books and Megan Bannen for an ARC copy of The Undermining of Twyla and Frank!!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I loved it!!

Rating 4.5/5 ⭐
Spice 2/5 🌶️

This book was so much fun! There is a perfect mix of silly and seriousness that made me feel all the emotions. I loved seeing cameos from all our favorite characters from book 1 (The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy) while still maintaining a new storyline with new characters.

I absolutely adore how Megan Bannen writes her characters. They feel so realistic, like you could see them walking your own small town streets. Not to mention the vivid descriptions of Tanrian landscape and creatures that make you want to Join the Marshalls.

I forgot how much I missed Eternity and all of my favorites there!

First, the happy little glimpses of Hart and Mercy just made me smile so big.

But this second installment is just as good as the first- I absolutely ate it up. It is has fantasy, is light and whimsical, has fun twists and some mystery, and the dynamic between Twyla and Frank is bliss. I loved following a more mature romance, one with tenderness and honesty and some spice (wink wink Frank)… it just made my heart ache in a good way! Also, as a woman reading about Twyla, I really resonated with her self discovery. It was real and raw and was a really great portrayal of this season of her life!

This book was just so good and sweet and lovely and tender and warm… and also funny! Go laugh and get weepy and smile with Frank and Twyla. And bless his little heart, go have fun with our boy Duckers!!! I think I missed him the most!

Thanks for NetGalley for the ARC!! 🖤

Twyla and frank are Tanrian marshals and partners. Their job is pretty laid back until one day a giant foot print and a baby dragon change everything. I love the love story and rooted for Twyla and Frank the whole time. This was my first fantasy/mystery and I really enjoyed it.

4.7 / 5.0

This is the sweet, adventurous, cozy fantasy I needed to backup Hart and Mercy. The characters are adorable and middle aged, so I could relate to a lot of the behavior and physical limitations they exhibit. And it’s a love story, friends to lovers this time, and so much more building to the world introduced in the first book. There’s a mystery too and all the sass and snark of some of the characters we met in the first book do not disappoint in this one.

Overall, a very good read. I enjoyed it a lot.

Until Next a time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

50 somethings as main characters and they’re long time friends to lovers?! I don’t know how it’s possible that I loved Twyla and Frank even more than Hart and Mercy but I did.

First of all, this world that the author has created is just fantastic. I really & truly enjoy every character and the way they talk and speak to fit the setting around them. All of the small details added into the story just gives it even more character.

This was such a fun quick read and the dynamic between the two main characters absolutely made this entire book. It was so sweet and tender, yet funny and full of the inside jokes and banter of friends.

Please give me more of the Eternity and Tanria world! :)

“The Undermining of Twyla and Frank” is a single POV told in 3rd person from Twyla’s perspective. The story follows two middle-aged individuals, Twyla, and her long-time neighbor, best friend, and Tanrian Marshall co-worker Frank.

✅Second Change
✅Slow Burn
✅Grumpy/Sunshine
✅Mystery

As a woman approaching their mid-40’s it was refreshing to read about a character closer to my age like Twyla navigating her fears and insecurities. She struggles with the changes she sees in her body, and with feelings and circumstances she endured as her family’s main caregiver. Her experiences mirror so many real-life experiences that it’s hard not to see a piece of oneself in her struggles and triumphs. This story weaves humor so seamlessly into some of the less glamorous parts of aging we all have/will experience that you find yourself laughing one moment and tearing up the next. For me, this was a humorous, heart-warming read that demonstrates that despite our age, as a collective we all want to love and be loved in return.

I was delightfully surprised to receive more Pendrose Duckers! I adored him in Hart & Mercy, and this book endeared me to him even more. I’m pretty sure I laughed at every interaction he was involved in.

To Orbit and NetGalley: Your generosity in providing this digital ARC has added another four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ to my reading universe! Thank you!

I received an ARC of this book.

I don’t think I can adequately put into words how much I enjoy this world and its characters. Every time I finish a book I am left wanting the story of another character.

It’s a cozy read, and this one in particular about choosing your own happiness - which is often easier said than done as beautifully written in this book.

The world, the banter and the characters are so enchanting it’s hard to put this story down.

A wonderful follow-up to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy.

I adored Twyla as a character. 53, a grandmother and is brimming with righteous female rage. I loved her musings on how she felt like a chair in her first marriage.

She and Frank's relationship is a slow burn but an excellent one.

The book has such respect for friendship and puts it on a good pedestal.

This book was so fun, bonkers in the best possible way and very playful for a book with 50+ aged characters in a way I don't think I've seen very much in Romance.

I'm so pleased Duckers dumped Zeddie. Please don't make the next book them getting back together. Duckers deserves better.

I am a big fan of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy so my expectations for the Undermining of Twyla and Frank were high. Though I can't say I remembered everything from the first novel, I think I got by with my recollections. While I wasn't as wholly enamored with this novel, I did enjoy the experience.

What I enjoyed

The dragons
I loved the dragons. I could read a textbook about these dragons. I could go to university to study these dragons. I could put on my short shorts and my ascot to research these dragons in the field. That's how much I loved these dragons.

Frank
I am definitely partial to the older girl dad sort so Frank was chef's kiss.

Grandmother Wisdom.

Relationships
I loved that every relationship in this book had realistic tension and their reactions were so clearly informed by the lives that they had led. It really breathed life into the characters. Especially Twyla's relationship with her daughter and her fears about her making the same mistakes.

What I wasn't crazy about

Twyla
I really wanted to love Twyla but I guess she just hit too close to home for me. She was so pessimistic about her body and relationships and marriage that I almost felt that she was echoing fears that I have always had about my future and I'm only in my late 20s. She was really well written but sometimes you and a character just don't gel. You know?

Single POV
I really would have loved Frank's point of view. When I'm reading Friends to Lovers it's all about the yearning and I think that that is most convincingly portrayed when you get insight into both people.

What I hated
"No one had ever touched her face when kissing her."
This does not strike me as possible.

While the plot never quite gallops I read this one in a flash and will definitely pick up the next addition to the series. I would love a short story from the perspective of someone in the town who had to live with Twyla and Frank's obliviousness. That strikes me as something particularly hilarious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Well, I was nearly beside myself at getting another story set in this world and I’m here wondering if 4 stars is too high of a rating.

I loved the idea of two middle aged characters finding love after messy divorces. Twyla is very hard on herself, sort of bitter and resentful of her life’s choices and yet, is very loving and hopeful. At times, it did get monotonous in her head as she was constantly mentioning that she was middle aged and post menopausal. Frank seemed like a delight. (I say seemed because we didn’t get his POV and everything we see of him is tempered through Twyla.) He was supportive and (obviously) smitten with Twyla. Of course, I’m always here for Pen and the Hart/Mercy cameo (which still wasn’t enough).

Plot wise, it was okay. There was a lot less dragon-based plot than I would have expected, but there didn’t seem to be a huge development of the romance either. I wanted more conversations, more openness, more kissing, and seriously…more dragons. It was a slow meandering that (for me) seemed like it wasn’t going anywhere, everything felt like an afterthought and it didn’t quite translate to a captivating story.

Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? No. Don’t get me wrong, at times, it did feel like settling into a cozy sweater, but I believe Twyla and Frank deserved more.

Overall, I wanted a lot more out of this story; however, I’m absolutely here for any other books in this series.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I loved Bannen's first book, The Undertaking Hart and Mercy, and this was no different. I enjoyed the change of pace here - friends to lovers, older MMC/FMC, characters with older children/grandchildren. The world building is phenomenal. I love the world of the old gods and new gods and the author's new take on dragons (pink! glitter!). Her side characters are so well fleshed out, that I wish she could do individual stories for all of them. My only wish was that I would have LOVED for this to be a dual POV with Frank's POV. Imagine the inner thoughts of him pining for Twyla!

Brannen's books are romantasy at their soul, but she is hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the jokes in the books.

Highly recommend.

See more on my bookstagram - @bookish_starry_skies.

I loved this return to Eternity after the conclusion of Hart and Mercy's book. This friends to lovers fantasy rom-com will provide all those warm, fuzzy feelings when you just need a really wonderful book to wash away the stresses of reality. It is such a fun ride of escapism.

The characters:
I really enjoyed getting to hear Twyla and Frank's story. I have slowly come to love the friends to lovers trope and I was excited to see what these two were up to. I appreciated that the characters were a bit older. I also really loved watching Twyla come into her own and know exactly what she wanted. I did have a desire to whallop her grown children at times because of their behavior -- but they came through the end. I loved that they sort of adopted Duckers and helped him through his time with the Marshals. I won't lie -- Duckers stole this whole damn book for me. He is was fabulous and amazing comedic relief. And I was legit invested in his ongoing relationship with Zeddie (that crushed me).

The plot:
There are dragons! These long thought extinct creatures return to the area leading to an investigation of why and how. I loved the spin on dragons that worked for this bizarre world and had some much humor and adventure. It was fun to investigate the changing world of the Island as misdeeds and nefarious deeds played out. Overall, the plot keeps you intrigued through the book as it is laced with humor and action.

What I missed:
I really craved Frank's POV on this one. I wanted to see all that pining you knew he was keeping in. I had a good handle on Hart, but not the same for Frank -- and I would have loved to see his internal thought process.

I hope we will get to revisit Eternity in the future and meet a new couple!

Five stars, but with the caveat that this is five stars for me and that might not feel that way for someone else. On the surface,The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is labeled as a friends-to-lovers romance.However, as I read it, this book was actually so much more. The book is told from Twyla’s perspective. She is processing years of being underestimated and treated less than by certain people. How she handles other people who are in love is not healthy. When her internal conflict reaches the surface, I can honestly say that I did not like Twyla. I was absolutely furious at her and the choices she makes. My thoughts as I read were, “Megan Bannen, you think this ok?!?!?” But then Mamma Bannen(yes, Mamma Bannen. If you’ve read the book, you know.) makes the story acknowledge Twyla’s unhealthy reactions/choices and helps her to work through it.
I love Bannen’s zippy one liners. She knows how to open a scene and close a scene in a very satisfying way. Frank and Duckers are absolute darlings. Duckers for life. I also appreciate that this is a middle-aged people love story. All in all, the topics took on a more serious tone than I normally read in my romance, but I am absolutely grateful that I read this book. If you don’t like disliking the FMC in your stories, this might not be the book for you. However,I will pick up more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank was the perfect follow up to The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy. This second chance, best friends to lovers fantasy romance felt like warm hug. Both of these stories are the perfect, mostly low-stakes fantasy romance standalones that are fantastic reads between more serious fantasy books or series. Cozy, silly, warm-hearted, but deep in unexpected ways.

Twyla and Frank made me laugh out loud with the sheer ridiculousness of the dragons, the villain, Ducker's excitement, and the many nicknames of Quill (Vanderlectable. Vanderlirious. Vanderlightful.) And it made me tear up discussing the difficulties of marriage, grief, being a woman in a man's world, and the challenging relationships between a mother and her children.

Twyla and Frank, Frank and Twyla. <3

If you loved Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust or You Can't Spell Treason Without Tea you will LOVE Twyla and Frank and Hart and Mercy. Thank you Orbit, NetGalley and Megan Bannen for this eARC. Perfection.

I love the world of Tanria and am happy to be back with The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. Megan Bannen perfects “show rather than tell” with how they introduce and explore the world and all its eccentricities. And wow, it is an eccentric world.

In the midst of the fantastical dragon-filled story, I appreciate the frank descriptions of menopause, marriage, adult friendships, and women’s labour.

The maturity and rationality of the characters are a breath of fresh air in the realm of fantasy and romance books. There is also a bit of a love triangle, which is something I normally loathe, but found to be oddly okay with it in this book.


This book has quite a different tone than the previous book, as it’s more silly and less mysterious. I would recommend reading the first book to understand the world in the second book. Character-wise it’s not necessary, but to understand the fantastical elements and history of the Tanria, yes.

This is a cozy, quirky, and at times just bizarre, world and story and I loved it.

4 stars. Much appreciation for NetGalley, Orbit Books, and Megan Bannen for this ARC.

✨The Undermining of Twyla & Frank by Megan Bannen✨

I really love the world Megan Bannen created in this series and I was so happy to be back in Tanria with all it’s whimsy and fantastical creatures. This time we follow the adventures of middle-aged Marshals Twyla and Frank, who also happen to be neighbors and long-time friends. It’s a feel good read with a little mystery, some cute baby dragons, and a sweet romance. 💜

We get the same great character development and playful humor from book 1, but I think it’s important to mention that TUOTAF seems to move at a slower pace and briefly covers some topics that might not be as exciting to a younger reader, ie: menopause. I’d definitely describe this as more of a cozy paranormal romance with a side of self-reflection.

We do get to see a lot more of the side characters we met in TUOHAM, especially Duckers 😍, and meet a few really interesting new characters too - including an adorable nimkillim. 🦔 But don’t worry, we get a bit of Hart with Mercy, as well. 😁

I had a really good time with this book. Let me know if you plan to check it out on July 2. 💚

Thanks to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for an early copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year-- the world of Hart and Mercy expanded upon and a second chance at love--WITH DRAGONS!!! A slow burn book that kept me smiling and laughing throughout. Once again, we're thrown right into the thick of the world with no world building (which I love!!) but this whimsical world grabbed me right off the bat just as it did in Hart + Mercy and I just couldn't put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I could not wait to get my hands on this book! As soon as I finished The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I knew I needed to read more about the people of Eternity. You could definitely read this as a standalone if you wanted but I sooo recommend checking out Book 1. (Plus, some of my favorite characters make cameos in this one!)

To be completely honest, I was a little unsure about how much I would enjoy reading about the romance between middle aged characters, but Megan Bannen blew my uncertainty out of the water. Twyla and Frank are so loveable, and I enjoyed every bit of their relationship growth.

While the over-arching romance trope is "friends to lovers," it was refreshing to read something a little different than I'm used to: (people in their 50s falling in love). The FMC experiences middle-aged problems, and while I'm not experiencing all of those things myself, it was nice to read someone without the shiny aura of youth and perfection.
More than a romance, this book could be different things to you depending on what you need. For me, the underlying theme of a woman's identity being tied to her roles as wife and mother really hit home. It was validating to see Twyla's longing for peace and independence coupled against a mother's incessant need to help her kids no matter what. While she and I are at different stages in our motherhood journey, I found myself saying "yep, me too," quite a bit.

Read this book if you love love (especially a good pining, slow-burn), friendship, family, whimsical adventure, oh, and dragons.
Coming July 2, 2024