I received this ARC in exchange for a voluntary honest review from the author and NetGalley.
This was a cute and quick read about friends to lovers that everyone ships except themselves, I enjoyed seeing what the characters from the last book were up to too. Also, there are dragons!
3.5 ⭐️

The Undermining to Twyla and Frank does a fantastic job of taking everything that made the first book unique and special and continuing with it. Even though its new lead characters, they are just as quirky and lovable. This book left me crying in a different way that the first book did.

I'm going to be up front and say that I am biased because I am in my 50s, so this spoke to me in a way I was unprepared for. This is a book primarily concerning two characters in their 50s, their complicated lives, their long friendship as a firm basis for romantic love, and frustrating adult children with all of the awesomeness that comes with those relationships. In other words, this book was written FOR me. Notwithstanding the fantastical elements of the book, Bannen did an amazing job writing about the complexities of love for older adults, and also, some of the insecurities and tribulations (and forgiveness) related to younger love. In short, this was a book about love that spans generations and speaks openly about it all. I went into it for the tale and ended it with tears in my eyes from the beauty of the story. Highly recommend. ❤️

I really enjoyed Twyla and Franks story. I fiercely loved Hart and Mercy, and I was a tad worried I would be let down by the sequel. It was very different in terms of then having a long standing friendship vs a new relationship. Twyla was just a delight, I love her so much. She's very relatable and lovable. The story pulled on my heart strings until her and Frank could figure things out. I do think this book was less of romance as the forefront, but as a middle aged woman figuring out life and the love she deserves.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for sending me an advance copy of this book! Below is my honest review:

</i>The Undermining of Twyla and Frank</i> is </i>such</i> a fun time!

This book follows Twyla and Frank, two Tanrian marshals who have been best friends for years, as they come across dragons in Tanria. Their discovery of dragons shakes up their lives and ends up leading them to question their true feelings for one another.

This zany adventure is so fun and hilarious! Twyla is such a wonderful main character, and I love that her and Frank are in their 50s. Their age allows for some nuanced storytelling that I’ve never personally seen in fantasy books, which was so refreshing. For example, Twyla must learn how to advocate for herself after years of her husband, her kids, and her grandkids asking a lot from her. She is also coming to terms with her aging body. Seeing the frank discussion (pun intended) of how aging can affect body image in a fantasy book was very interesting to me.

This book was pretty slow paced, but I think the pacing allowed for some great character work. The pace also leant itself to the “cozy fantasy” vibes. The descriptions of the dragons and the way they interact with the humans leans into the “cozy” aspect of this cozy fantasy as well. I just absolutely adored the dragons in this book! They are so cute, and they enrich this world tremendously.

I would definitely recommend this to lovers of cozy fantasy out there! There is a lot of heart in this story, and it tackles some topics that I was surprised to see in a fantasy novel. This is such a unique little book, so go check it out!

YES YES YES YES!!!! This absolutely had the same spark and magic that The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy did. I was a little nervous going in as the first book literally changed the trajectory of my life for me (gave me the kick in the butt I needed to start mortuary school), but that’s normal for any sequel. The worry was for nothing though, as this gave me the same butterfly feelings I had the first go around.

I was beyond excited to get my hands on an ARC of 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank.' So much so that I immediately dropped everything else on my March reading list. A heartfelt thank you goes out to #NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me this advanced reader copy.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa on a chilly evening—it's comforting, heartwarming, and utterly delightful. Megan Bannen has once again woven a spellbinding tale that whisked me away to a world I never wanted to leave.

From the whimsical characters to the enchanting setting, every page radiates with Bannen's signature charm and warmth. And let's not forget the romance! The best friends-to-lovers storyline had me swooning from start to finish. And dragons?! A precious sparkly pink baby dragon?! I can't get enough of it! 😍 It's the kind of story that leaves a permanent smile on your face and a flutter in your heart.

Bannen's writing is like magic—it effortlessly transports you into her fantastical world, where dragons soar overhead and talking hedgehog mailwomen deliver messages. It's a world so vivid and alive that you can't help but get lost in its beauty.

'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank' isn't just a book—it's a cozy escape, a warm hug from a dear friend, and a reminder of why I fell in love with reading in the first place. Megan Bannen has truly outdone herself with this one, and I can't wait to see what other enchanting adventures await in her next book. And as someone who reserves precious bookshelf space only for those books that truly touch my heart, I'm on a mission to secure special edition hardback sprayed edge copies of these novels. Because books like 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank' and its predecessor deserve more than just a spot on the shelf—they deserve to be showcased in all their beauty and brilliance.

I don't read a lot of romantasy, but boy did I fall head-over-heels for THE UNDERTAKING OF HART & MERCY (Pub 2022), a weird, quirky, enchanting romantic fantasy. I read it twice. I fell even harder for the companion novel, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝗪𝐘𝐋𝐀 & 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊 (Pub 07.02) Thank you @orbitbooks_us for the early copy.

Twyla Banneker is a widowed, middle-aged Marshall.
Frank Ellis is her neighbor, partner and best friend.
When Harry Met Sally but with DRAGONS!!!!
Vanderlectable. Vanderlirious. Vanderlightful.
Twyla & Frank. Frank & Twyla.
And so much more.

So many things about this book worked for me. I wanted to savor it, but I didn't want to put it down. The writing was engaging and endearing. The world Bannen built was vivid and full of energy. She even had me making peace with my nemesis- glitter. I relished the whimsical, heartwarming elements that played alongside the more nefarious. The secondary characters were an absolute treat. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud at their tripod-bonus-partner Duckers. His comedic prowess was so.much.fun.

One of my favorite components was that Twyla is 53. I LOVE a middle-aged character well done and Bannen knocked it out of the park.

Twyla & Frank. Frank & Twyla- (sigh) I loved these characters. Watching them hold on fiercely to their friendship while exploring ‘more’ with trepidation and uncompromising affection was a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. When I picked up The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy last year, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it since fantasy isn't really my thing. To my surprise, I very much enjoyed it. That being said, I liked Undermining of Twyla and Frank even more! While it's not necessary to have read the first book to appreciate this one, I liked how the author continued the story while also advancing it - as well as making me think what characters should be the focus of the next book. "Older" marshals Twyla and Frank are neighbors, friends, and work partners who learn that what you need could be there all the time. I enjoyed the story of these mature (mid 50s) characters who aren't afraid to be a little spicy, and the addition of dragons just made the tale that much better. So far, this is one of favorite reads of 2024!

I love this novel! I read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and fell in love with Tanria, Eternity, all of the great characters- and especially Frank and Twyla. I was thrilled to recieve an ARC as I was planning to purchase this book anyway. Megan Bannen seamlessly combines genres, develops a world I got lost in, characters I got invested in and rooted for. Action, laugh out loud moments, tension and romance. A memorable, page turning read. Loved it

I’m sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book for multiple reasons, the main one being that I don’t think I am the targeted audience.
I am sure that some women will find the main characters and plot inspiring, humorous, and enchanting.
I found it all to be somewhat annoying and repetitive.
-I disliked the constant reminders that Twyla was, indeed, middle-aged, and past her prime. It was mentioned on almost every single page, to the point that I found myself rolling my eyes at the mention of her leaky bladder, her achy joints, and her child-birthed body. If I never read an “Ope!” again, I will be grateful.
-I disliked that Twyla was bitter and negative about, well, everything. At least everything that had to do with her body, her failed marriage, her children, and men in general. As a wife and a mother, her negative thought spirals about the horrors of marriage, raising children, and incompetent men made me cringe.
-Another thing that made me cringe was the humor in this book. It read like a low-budget Hallmark film. The jokes were immature, odd, and repetitive. I missed the humor from the first book.


Again, I’m sure that some will find this book inspiring and wholesome. I did not, which is disappointing because I was so excited to read about a middle aged woman who has had a marriage and children! It’s not a popular point of view in this genre, but as a married woman with children (who doesn’t absolutely hate her life), I found this book to be disappointing.

This is the second novel following Hart and Mercy's story about fellow Tanrian Marshals, Twyla and Frank. They have been partners for 8 years after Twyla's husband passes away and her neighbour Frank convinces her to join, they have been best friends ever since. The job becomes monotonous after the recent defeat of drudges until they find the body of a fellow Marshal near a giant footprint believed to be a dragon that puts them back in action. The discovery leads their investigation to far dangerous places than they were prepared for and as the dynamic of the friendship starts to change, Twyla might soon discover a new chance at love might be closer than she thought.
This was the perfect friends to lovers story about finding love again later in life, proving its never too late to star again.

𝑻𝒘𝒚𝒍𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒙 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓.
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen is the second book set in the same world as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy that could potentially be read as a standalone but I wouldn't skip book 1 (trust me, it's awesome). I wanted to highlight the whole book as everything was pure gold and was a runaway hit right away. I didn't want to put the book down! The world was still whimsical and quirky with lots of humor. I found myself nodding along and grinning often while reading. I may have been tempted to high five some of the characters as well.
I need to absolutely rave about Twyla who is the 53 year old FMC. Twyla is fallible, her life is messy and she gets herself into trouble. She has middle age problems which are refreshing to read about. She is so loveable and incredibly relatable that I felt seen in this book. She also underestimates herself and learns to ask for what she wants.
Frank is the 55 year old MMC who is a steady rock throughout the book. He is a staple in Twyla's life as they are next door neighbors and longtime friends. He only wants what's best for Twyla even if she doesn't see it.
Megan Bannen has done it again and made me absolutely fall in love with her characters. From the bumbling mail delivery animals to the young and goofy partner our main characters are saddled with. Everything was perfection. I was so happy to have been back in this fabulous world that I hope there's another book in the works.
💜 Portal fantasy rom-com
💜 Cozy and slow paced
💜 Friends to lovers
💜 Slow burn
💜 Pining
💜 Middle aged FMC and MMC
💜 Lots of fun banter
💜 Relatable family relationships
💜 One open door spicy scene

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen is a fun and touching friends to lovers fantasy. Twyla and Frank, long time best friends join the Tarian Marshals and become partners for the next eight years. When Frank accidentally becomes a foster father for a baby dragon, new problems and emotions arise.

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️

Opinion: I had so much fun reading this book! It is super cute and just a fun time!

I really loved that the MCs Twyla and Frank were in their 50s. It’s not something you see in a fantasy so often and it was really nice! I enjoyed both of them and watching their friends to loves romance bloom.

Twyla was great and I loved seeing her in her mom moments. There was an argument between her and her daughter Hope that hit me right in emotions as it reminded me of myself and my mom.

The fantasy elements are slightly confusing to me. Do take this opinion with a grain of salt as I haven’t read the first book. Based on this book alone, sometimes I would forget this was set in a fantasy world. If it wasn’t for the dragons from time to to time and the names of the days of the week, I would forget that this was fantasy all together. That being said, I still enjoyed the world itself. I would have like to feel more of the world.

There is a slight love triangle but it’s not an overwhelming or annoying one at all which was very refreshing as I get tired of the love triangle trope really fast.

All in all, I had an amazing time reading this and I do recommend checking it out! I hope to read the first book in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Forgive me for looking out for you."
"I am a grown woman. I can look out for myself."
"You can look all you want. You sure as shit don't see much."

I do not say this lightly, but this series is my Roman Empire. I am beyond in love with this world, these characters, Megan's writing, the insanity and hilarity of every situation, the deep and meaningful way these characters grow together. I have no notes. Literally at one point while reading I said, out loud, "What in the Scooby-Doo madness is this?!" and I did so while crying laughing because this is SO MUCH FUN.

More books with middle-aged heroes and heroines. More books with best friends who secretly long for each other for decades. More books with messages about defying the female conventions of being a doormat, or a chair in this case. More of these books, PLEASE, Megan, tell me there will be more of these books.

This was also the first ARC I've received through NetGalley and I was so excited and grateful to be able to read this early. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was one of my favorite reads of 2023 so Frank and Twyla's story was one of my most anticipated releases for this year and it did not disappoint! All of the things that I loved about the first book held up in the second--the whimsical and slightly macabre world that continues to be built upon in this installment, the fun side characters, the character work, the romance/spice. I loved the intimate scene between the two because it was definitely less spicy than Hart/Mercy which I think can be expected from an older couple but it was so tender and a little awkward in a way that felt so realistic. My one minor criticism is that I wish Bannen kept the dual POV from the last book because I feel like Frank did not feel like as complex of a character without his POV, although I understand that Frank kind of takes a back seat to Twyla who is just now finding herself as a woman who put herself last her whole life as a mother and wife. All this to say that I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more in this world (Duckers and Zeddie second chance romance when??!)

I just wanted to give a big shout out to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I absolutely loved book one Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and when I got sent this I was so excited!!! This book had friendship, action, dragons and characters you can’t help but love!! I absolutely loved our two main characters their friendship was something I was left in awe reading!! These two have each others back through thick and thin and that’s difficult to find in a life time!! Cue the dragons!!!! I was here for all of it!!!

Seriously go pick this up on July 2!!! You won’t be disappointed!

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is the second book in the series; that could really be read as a standalone. I have read that it is a When Harry Met Sally retelling, however I have never watched that movie so I cannot speak to that.



The Undermining of Twyla and Frank follows Twyla and Frank, two Tanrian Marshall side characters from the previous book. They are both in their 50’s and have been previously married, to other people, not eachother. It is a friends to lovers, second chance, coworker romance with a dash of fantasy. We have portals to a stange world that is home to strange and mythical life.


We do not nearly get as much Frank as we should. This hurt the chemistry of the characters and made the romance underwhelming. Their connection was hard to become invested in. It was strange they were friends for twenty years or so and unable to talk about their feelings for one another. I’m not sure if the miscommunication trope works well with older characters as you kind of hope by now they’ve figured out how to communicate with one another.


The mystery and twist felt like a B movie or Scary Movie situation. Is this book making fun of itself, I don’t know and it discomforts me. 



This one didn’t hit it for me. But I think a third book with Duckers as the MMC might save the series. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was fantastic; so we know Bannen can do it. But this was not it. 



I would recommend this book to adults that are still into My Little Pony and Care Bears. Those that have forgotten the pure trauma that is glitter in your eye. Perhaps fans of Tiger Army and other such psychobilly bands would enjoy this.

Don’t you love it when amazing side characters get to own the spotlight in their own story? As an avid fan of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I was thrilled to see Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis front and center in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank. This story is set after Hart and Mercy’s and focuses on the age-old question: can men and women just be friends? And yes, there is a whole When Harry Met Sally thing going on in this one. Twyla and Frank, our middle-aged heroes, are confronted with dragons, evil(ish) villains, and their own repressed emotions in a story that made me cry no fewer than three times.

I appreciated the advanced age of our main characters and the rich lives they had built together before the events of the novel took place. It is clear from the start that Tywla and Frank are both complex characters who have tremendous respect for each other. I also enjoyed the views of parenthood expressed by the author throughout this book.

Although I enjoyed this book a lot, I would have liked to have gotten into Frank’s head a little more. I typically enjoy single POV, but I think this one would have been a fun dual POV story had the author chosen to go that route. I also wished for at least one more spicy scene to crank up the heat between our main characters.

If you are Hart and Mercy fan, you can’t pass this one up! It did not quite have the emotional and world-building depth of Bannen’s first book in this universe, but it did not disappoint.

Megan Bannen is a must-read for me after the sweet and totally unique Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. We return to their world in this follow-up novel that is even more fun and romantic. God, do I love Twyla and Frank. They are both grown-ass adults with jobs and kids and lives, and they are also more than deserving of love. I can’t think of another book like this. There are baby dragons, real-life marriage issues, the sweetest friendships, and hilarity too. Twyla has to learn that just because she settled in her marriage and was unhappy, that doesn’t have to be every relationship forever. Her best friend Frank is clearly just the greatest guy on the planet, and they have the most supportive and delightful relationship. They both need to learn to trust each other and communicate how they feel about one another. Meanwhile, they are also busy working together to protect their people, and figure out the mystery of dragons magically appearing out of nowhere. There is so much going on in this book, and it’s all perfect. I never wanted to put it down. I can’t wait for here to be more. Please tell me there will be more. I love the universe and characters of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.