Megan Bannen is an instant author-buy for me. This book was SO good.

I love her world building, but more than that I love the heart and soul she gives to her characters. Twyla, Frank, and Duckers feel SO real and you just want to root along with them. Twyla has my whole heart. You want to cry when she does, love when she does, and so much more. I loved it. 10/10.

An enormous thank you to Orbit Books for the opportunity to read ‘The Undermining of Twyla and Frank’ early. The following opinions are my own.

With a permanent lack of drudges to battle or corral, things were beginning to feel stale on the job for Tanrian Marshals, Frank Ellis and Twyla Banneker. That is, until they stumble across the dead body of one of their own covered head-to-toe in a foreign, shimmery slime. After facing an attack shortly after, they discover that this glittered goo only expels from angered dragons. Along with the deceased’s former partner, Penrose Ducker, they are tasked with solving this murder mystery and learning as much as possible about the fabled creatures before anyone else is harmed. Frank and Twyla’s lengthy history, professional compatibility, and strong chemistry have thus far made for a dream partnership that has weathered many perils distinct to the realm of the exiled old gods. However, the addition of a handsome dragon specialist hired to assist the team begins pulling threads at the foundation of their perfect friendship. Sorting out matters of the heart might prove to be Frank and Twyla’s most perilous challenge yet.

The magic of ‘The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy’ is recreated tenfold in this sequel with the help of brand new nimkilims, charming leads, and dragon pups. Revisiting the town of Eternity also brought forth some fun cameos of previous characters. And once again, I enjoyed every single knowing look and teasing comment that Duckers, the rookie marshal, threw at the FMC and MMC. His penchant for mischief is often the catalyst of honest revelations for Twyla and Frank, in the same way it was for Hart and Mercy. I thought that was a clever, subtle thread between the two couples. If Duckers ever gets his own book, I’ll be first in line.

At its core, the love story between the leads is very sweet and realistic, which could be the result of its slow-burn delivery. Not to give too much away, but their chemistry comes through loudly in each, and sometimes buzzing, interaction. In my experience, romance books concerning middle-aged characters beyond the age of 50 are kind of few and far between. The inclusion of a good, old-fashioned love triangle amongst 50-somethings made for a unique reading experience. Another aspect I loved and have considerably thought on since is its honest depiction of marriage and motherhood. Megan Bannen has a knack for writing stories with an air of whimsy and great depth.

For as much as I love reading Horror and Fantasy novels, I’ve never been fond of those with zombies or dragons. And yet, Megan Bannen has managed to make a liar out of me…not once, but twice. If you’re someone who doesn’t care all that much for dragons, give it a chance. The babies are impossibly cute. And if you are already absolutely enamored by the flying reptiles, well then, I’m sure seeing the words dragon and babies together will suffice. Either way, ‘The Undermining of Twyla and Frank’ is not to be missed. Which leaves me here, eagerly awaiting a next installment in the series, because two is simply not enough.

This world is an excellent mix of western, fantasy, and modern elements, creating a truly unique setting that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Twyla and Frank are solid characters, showcasing maturity and a steady friendship that I really admired throughout the book. However, maybe because of the single POV, some of the chemistry between them felt a bit diluted, making me wish for more depth in their relationship.

The returning characters, particularly Duckers, stole the spotlight with their memorable interactions and witty banter. Duckers' page time stood out as some of the most enjoyable moments in the book.

While "The Undermining of Twyla and Frank" is a love story, I don’t think it’s strictly a romance. For those expecting a similar experience to "The Undertaking of Mercy and Hart," there might be some disappointment. Nevertheless ,this delivered a cute riff on old school romcoms.

Thank you to NetGalley for proving an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review. Hart and Mercy were a tough act to follow but Megan Bannen did a fantastic job with Twyla and Frank! Midlife, friends-to-lovers romance, which are two of my favorite tropes. Slow burn and love triangle tropes too, if you're keeping score. But also: dragons!

Twyla and Frank started out a bit slower than the first one: less initial focus on fantasy and more on establishing of new characters and their place in the world of the previous book. Once the story got going though, it really moved. Aw, and Duckers is back, yay! This one is more comedic than the first. And more of a book about Twyla coming into her own rather than about both her and Frank equally (compared to Hart and Mercy's story). Twyla has some snark, which I love. And while reading this second book, it strikes me that the author is someone who deeply understands the push-pull of family expectations, the often difficult claims they place on you, and what it means to give up a little of yourself to love. She also clearly understands (and is able to eloquently depict) the warm and comforting embrace of family, be it biological or found family. The writing of the female voices and the family dynamics reminds me pleasantly of Jennifer Crusie's writing style.

This shouldn't be read as a standalone, as it heavily references events and people from the first book, who also make appearances in this book. There is a lot of assumed knowledge of prior world-building. Do yourself a favor and read Hart and Mercy's story first, if you haven't already. Not just because you'll need it to more fully enjoy Twyla and Frank's story, but also because it's a fantastic book!

This is one of the books where you smile, and then your smile just keeps getting larger as you read.

I actually haven't read the Undertaking of Hart & Mercy. It was on my TBR, but when I got this ARC from NetGalley, I just wanted to dive right in. This is a friends-to-lovers romance done right - do we having absolute pining from dear Frank? Yes! But it's never frustrating in the way that, for example, Lovelight Farms was. I love that the writing style feels like Twyla and her voice. The world of course and our glittery dragons cannot be understated. This is easily a five star read for me, a cozy fantasy that had truly a fleshed out world that did not rely on "vibes" but true old fashioned coziness. Five stars all the way, with a 1 for spice! Worth the slow burn :)

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is such a crazy read! I loved every second of it and the banter between Twyla and Frank was unmatched. There were times were I literally laughed out loud. This book is friends to lovers, has fantasy, and romance and in my mind was imagined as an anime/cartoon style which was interesting! Twyla and Frank are best friends who are marshalls in Tanria and there is a death that ultimately takes us on a crazy journey with dragons. It's such a unique spin to books that I am used to and truly can't wait for more from Megan Bannen. I enjoyed and appreciated that they are older, in their 50's, and experienced life experiences that others can relate to! There were spicy scenes, but even those scenes had me cracking me at moments because they were relatable and it's things we think but never say. This book got me out of my reading slump and it was definitely worth it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful sequel to one of my favorite books, I enjoyed being back in Tanria in this genre bending book. While the setting is fantasy, the underlying themes are decidedly human and resonated greatly with me. Motherhood, the unbalance of genders when it comes to raising children, adult friendship, and what to do once those time consuming children are grown adults of their own. While mine are still in the middle rearing years, I truly appreciated Twyla's perspective.

The romance was heartfelt but a little light, but I really enjoyed Twyla and Frank's friendship. This is romance in your mid-fifties. It's not flashy. It's not fast and furious. We saw glimpses in the storyline of the difference between the two, both in Twyla's own love life but also of their young marshal friend and new partner, Duckers (who undeniably steals the show in every scene he's in). Romance is different once you've had some years under your belt, once you've experience heartbreak and loss and years of loneliness. And this is portrayed beautifully and thoughtfully in this book.

A quieter book than Hart and Mercy, but nonetheless filled with the same witty banter, clever world building, and loads of action. Plus, we have some dragons! Pink ones! With glitter.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this galley ahead of pub date, and look forward to reading more stories about these characters that I've grown to love.

I absolutely loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I knew I would love this. With the world following what happened in the first instillment, the drudges are gone and both Twyla and Frank as Marshalls are not as busy anymore. Its slightly a second chance romance which isn’t usually my fav but I did quite enjoy this one!

I like keeping my reviews honest so here it goes:

I was extremely disappointed by this book, it was really hard to get into and somewhat boring, I had to make myself read this and push through (almost DNF) and I was really excited when I received this book.

After reading The undertaking of Hart and Mercy which made me feel soooo much this felt so disappointing.

I did like having Duckers in the book and learning more about him but was sad how they handled Zeddie here.

I feel like this story could have been so much more and hope if a third is in the works it redeems this one for me.

Thanks for the privilege of reading this book before it was released, hope everyone else gives it a try.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was soooo good, so I was so excited for this sequel!

This is a friends to lovers novel, which admittedly I am not the biggest fan but I still enjoyed this read for the most part. I think we were kind of thrown into their relationship as friends before we really got to see it. Immediately they are like "you're my best friend" but we as readers don't really see the buildup of their friendship, if that makes any sense. Also there was no POV for Frank! We got to see Hart's POV so I was surprised that it was all in Twyla's pov. Also the amount of times Twyla mentioned her being middle-aged, or not as young as she used to be was becoming a bit of a downer for me. She mentioned something about her age on almost every page it seemed, at first it was nice to read about an older FMC but after a while it just got eye rolly.

Overall the book was not what I was expecting, but it wasn't boring either. I absolutley enjoyed Duckers the most in this novel!

I would give it a rating of 3.5

Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the eARC!

It was witty and cute. I enjoyed the banter between Twyla and Frank. This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint.

Genre: fantasy romance

Twyla and Frank, Frank and Twyla. They’ve been neighbors forever, have seen each other through one spouse (Frank’s) leaving and one dying (Twyla’s), and their respective children growing up. They’ve been partners as Tanrian Marshals for years, and they’re best friends. But absolutely nothing more. Working a deployment in Tanria with Ralston Hart’s former partner, the young Duckers, Twyla and Frank run into the unexpected: dragons. Pink, glitter spewing dragons, to be precise, and one of them has imprinted on Frank. Their boss brings a dragon expert into Tanria - the handsome tweed wearing Dr Quill Vanderlinden - who faints upon seeing his first real live dragon. The dragons aren’t the only thing to challenge the status quo, though, because Quill asks Twyla on a date, and Frank has no real ability to stand in the way.

What a delight to return to Tanria and Eternity. Megan Bannen has a way with writing that makes her stories so easy to read. The world she shaped for us in The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy has changed since Hart’s heroism. There aren’t as many threats in Tanria now that the drudges aren’t on the loose anymore. Bannen has said that her goal with Hart & Mercy was to take the concept of death and funerals and make it “look like Baby Yoda” and she does the same here…she makes other worlds sparkle.

A friends to lovers romance is notoriously difficult. A writer has to convince us of their friendship first, and then convince us that there’s a reason for them to be together romantically. The friendship and partnership between Twyla and Frank really works well. It’s really clear throughout the novel that Frank has feelings already, that he isn’t just catching them now. Twyla on the other hand, loves living alone and having her space - she’s earned it after having raised three children, now all grown - and hasn’t dated anyone in the thirteen years since her husband died. What was missing for me in the romance itself was the key moment where the switch flipped for Twyla. Once she’s in, she’s all in, and so was I, but I live for the lightbulb moment in friends to lovers, and didn’t have it here. But I will also always live for the small gifts, the sweet gestures, and the lingering gazes in a book like this. And dear romance writers: please continue to give us more main characters over fifty! Because everyone deserves their chance at love.

I ADORED basically everything about this book. It didn’t live up to Hart & Mercy, but that would have been really hard anyway, because that’s literally one of my favorite books of all time now. I reach for comfort reads like Hart & Mercy and Twyla & Frank when I want a little adventure, a little silliness in the worldbuilding, and a lot of swoon. I cannot recommend the two of these books highly enough.

“Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis were Mercy’s favorite marshals. Middle aged and down to earth, they were partners in Tanria and next-door neighbors in Eternity, the sort of best friends who came as a matching set, as if they were attached by hyphens: Twyla-and-Frank.”

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is a cozy fantasy friends-to-lovers rom-com. Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis have been best friends for over 20 years, and partners at the Tanrian Marshals for 8 years. At first, everyone was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla joined him, but now it’s been years and they’re still strong on the law enforcement in Eternity. Their job has been pretty boring and safe lately, but out of nowhere, they discover a dead body that uncovers a new mystery for them - dragons. This complicates things, and with the challenges they face during this time they might realize that they have feelings for each other.

This book is just perfect; it’s a fantasy world with best friends-to-lovers, and if you needed anything else, it has a baby dragon. It was nice to read about a middle-age couple. This book was a breath of fresh air, uniquely written with beautiful characters, amazing romance, DRAGONS, and everything you want in a fantasy romance. My favorite parts were when I got to see Twyla, Duckers, and Frank working together (I need a Duckers’ book; I LOVE HIM). I absolutely loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and I fell in love with The Undermining of Twyla and Frank too. I don’t know how to explain it, but this book was as if When Harry Met Sally and Zootopia had a baby. I absolutely loved the world-building and the character development, after finishing it I felt so happy, it was such a wholesome story that made me feel all of the feels.

THANK YOU SM TO @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for sending this digital arc my way🤍 and thank to @meganbannen for writing this beautiful story!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was so excited when I received this arc.

This book had me laughing out loud at many parts and very much enjoyed this book as well! While I would have loved to have focused a little more on the romance between Twyla and Frank, I enjoyed how we really got to see Twyla's journey as a 53 year old woman, mom, friend, and partner. How every age of your life, you still have much of your own story to live!


I also would VERY much like Frank to call me "darlin" anytime.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was a very easy 5 stars for me, and so this quickly became one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. While I did like it, my rating is more of a 3.5 or 4, which obviously is good but I am bummed I didn’t love it more!

I reread TUOHAM before picking this up, and I’m glad I did. It was nice to have a small intro into who Twyla and Frank are, and there are a few things referenced in TUOTAF that were helpful to have fresh in my mind. While this could be read as a standalone, there are definitely moments (especially the wedding chapter) that I think someone who doesn’t know Hart & Mercy’s story would care less about. Also, Duckers is just as amazing as ever and I think a reader should get to see him right from when he becomes a Marshal.

Twyla and Frank are both good characters. I did get a bit frustrated that there were times it seemed like they just needed to talk and clear the air, and being best friends for so long made me think they actually would talk things out. So I didn’t love that they didn’t always do so. I didn’t care for Twyla’s family. But all the Marshal’s were great, and I loved being back in this world.

Honestly I think a big part of this story was about Twyla’s growth as a person. This almost felt more like a paranormal women’s fiction compared to a romance. There was romance, there actually was a bit of a love triangle that surprised me, but Twyla as a person seemed like a bigger focus often. I did like the romance though, and of course seeing a happy ending. The story really did wrap everything up nicely.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adored the first book and megan bannen's writing is so romantic and this one didnt steer me wrong either. dragons, denial of love and more, this was everything!

I adored this book and was so surprised by how much I loved this one. Well, not surprised, BUT the first one was one of my favorite books. I didn’t think another one could beat or even come close.
However, it totally did.

The world created was something I feel right back into, easily. The characters are like a warm blanket when it’s raining-The best type of snuggle. Mercy and Hart were part of the story and at the beginning I wanted nothing more than to hear about them. But, oddly enough toward the middle, I just wanted to hear about Twy and Frank because they stole the damn show. Well, until we got to the dragons. The dragons were so easily written in and I was so happy to see them in the mini Jurassic park.

Best parts about this book:
-The way frank said Darlin will live in my bones- and I never ever heard it aloud.
-dragon daddy
-older people getting sex lives
-women having power
-spooky spooky
-drama that tugs at my heart.

I just think you should read this book. It has everything you may need. Pick it up and fall in love. I can’t wait till I can get a hard copy of it.

I was so excited to return to this cozy land because I adored book 1. This one didn’t hit quite the same but I still had a good time with it. This book felt a little light on the actual romance (while also being light on plot) so I found myself waiting for *something* to happen. Thankfully the story did eventually get going. I was hoping for more dragon-related antics but unfortunately the actual watching of the baby dragon didn't get as much focus as I'd like. What did get focus was delightful however. I adored the fact that this book is about older characters. Romance books are so rarely focused on characters in their 50s to it was a welcome change to see people of that age find love. The friends to lovers aspect was also really sweet. Frank was the sweetest little cinnamon roll and I loved seeing how much he cared for Twyla and just wanted her to be happy. It was a delight to return to this quirky, cozy fantasy world. I loved that the world is queernormative and I adored seeing more of Pen and Zeddie's story. This is the epitome of cozy fantasy. If you're looking for a book to curl up with that's mostly vibes this could be the perfect light book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

I loved The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy—its one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, so I was so excited when I got approved to receive an ARC of this new book, set in the same universe! Unfortunately, this story didn’t do for me what the first book did, but I think that’s primarily due to the fact that I am not part of this book’s target audience. I’ve never been married, don’t plan to have kids, and I’m in my 20’s. The first book in the series felt like it was in my wheelhouse and I really related to Mercy in a lot of ways. This book, however, was just hard for me to connect with. I think it’s incredible that the romance genre is starting to expand its audience and create stories for people in different stages of life! It was just hard for me to stay present when reading the story since I cannot relate to being a widowed grandmother approaching retirement.

*4.5 Stars*

I loved reading The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but I think I loved the sequel even more. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank brings you new characters as well as some of your favorite characters from the first book. I was so happy to see Duckers make a comeback. I loved that the main characters were older and had already been married previously as well as children who were grown. I felt that this dynamic lead to the opportunity of character growth with their families as well as with each other. However, my favorite part of this book was the dragons. Who doesn't love dragons? The dragons in Tanrian were so unexpected that it led to several comedic moments throughout this book.
This book will definitely be on my top 10 favorite books for 2024.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank comes out July 2nd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to review The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. All thoughts and opinions are my own.