My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Interesting worldbuilding, sweet story for multiple reasons: cute dragons, slow-morph friends to lovers, strong females. I'll definitely be seeking out the other books in this series.

Megan Bannen does it again. I DEVOURED this book. Can we please get more seasoned protagonists in books. The main characters are divorced and widowed and in their 50s and don't feel like they deserve love with their best friend and of course they do.

I love the world building in this. I press Megan Bannen into the hands of friends who claim they don't like fantasy but love romance. It's so simple to fall into this world and she balances quirky characters, magical whimsy, and DRAGONS into a full fledged romance novel.

The postwoman hedgehog had me rolling.

What a delight of a series.

I loved the Undermining of Twyla and Frank as much as I loved Hart and Mercy. This genre of books normally isnt my go to read but the author makes them so fun witha touch of spice and thrill.

3.5⭐️
It took past the 20% mark for me to start feeling invested in it. I had a love hate relationship with this one. This is a great unserious read.

I adored Hart and Mercy so I was so thrilled to get an early copy of this book! The Undermining of Twyla and Frank has the same whimsical worldbuilding I loved so much about the first book plus it has DRAGONS? Say no more! I love a good friends to lovers story, and felt so grounded in Twyla and Frank’s friendship before they became something more. I definitely enjoyed this one!

The writing was good and the characters were endearing but I wasn’t a huge fan of their love story. The first book was much better

Folks, I finished The Undermining of Twyla and Frank and it’s official, Megan Bannen just became a must read author for me. I knew I was a fan after The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but now I am fully invested!

Reasons why anyone will love this book - endless funny banter, sweet friendships, familial bonds, adorable dragons, anthropomorphic animal mail carriers, great world building, queer rep, and strong female characters.

Why I specifically loved it - deep sigh. Ok friends, while I am not “old” I am older than quite a few of you. And I am definitely older than most of the characters in the romcoms we read and love. Which is fine and lots of fun, but sometimes it’s really nice to read about an older romance. The MCs in this book are in their 50s, single after years of marriage and kids, and experience new sparks after years of being dulled. It was refreshing to read about bodies that aren’t “perfect” and people choosing their bliss after years of living for others. It just hit different, right in my feels, and I loved it.

Twyla & Frank is the follow up to the just as wonderful The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy! I honestly can't recommend both books enough but something about book two just sticks with me. Everything I loved about book 1 - the wonderful small town Eternity, more than a dash of whimsy, and laugh out loud scenes that still have allll the feels. This book legit made me tear up before the end. Oh! And there's a wonderful baby dragon that I want for myself....unfortunately I don't think we have baby dragons here.

This book was fun and so very cozy! The characters are likable and the story is engaging. I highly recommend this!

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is Bannen’s follow-up to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. Although these are new characters, I recommend reading Hart and Mercy first to understand the world the story is set in.

Middle-aged widow Twyla Banneker is a Tanrian Marshall, partnered with her best friend, Frank Ellis. They are definitely not a couple! Their job has gotten more boring lately, but Frank discovers a baby dragon (a species out of myth) and the two must confront their maybe-feelings for each other while protecting the creature.

Bannen writes such delightful characters. I loved the prominence of Duckers, one of my favourites from the previous book, and his terrible romance. The dragons are ridiculously adorable as well.

The Undermining Twyla and Frank is definitely romance first, fantasy second. I didn’t find the plot outside of the romance as interesting as Hart and Mercy — the dragons were fun but the ending a bit silly. Still, I didn’t really mind.

This book is so good-natured and cozy, and I’d love to see more older couples in fantasy romance novels. I’m really excited to see there’s a third book planned.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for my review copy of this book.

This was a cute love story. I thought the characters were realistic and the plot was enjoyable. I think I preferred the first book in the series but the characters were adorable. I definitely appreciate the older characters and the second chance at love story.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is a standalone novel set in the same charming world as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy... Think When Harry Met Sally, but with baby dragons. Steam. Banter. Swoon. Recommended for cozy fantasy lovers or anyone looking to get into romance. If you read the first book in the series, it makes the second book more enjoyable, but it is unnecessary. This book had me laughing at loud and loving these characters to death. I love Megan's writing style and how the relationship between these two best friends made me want more.

Tropes:
-best friends-to-lovers
-badass woman in her fifties
-Forced Proximity

3/3.5

As a huge fan of the first book, this one didn’t quite maintain the same sense of urgency in its pace that made its predecessor so strong. However, the characters continued to be rich and different. They made for such a dynamic pair, I just had difficulty with the pace of the story itself and found myself frequently losing interest.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was one of my favorite books two years ago when it came out, and I've been anticipating this release since then. What I think is so fascinating about The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is how much it sets itself apart from other cozy fantasies I've read. We have two older protagonists (in their 50's) who've both been married, had kids, and had careers. I'm not usually a fan of friends-to-lovers, but I thought the dynamic between Twyla and Frank was so sweet that I couldn't help but root for them. Especially since we learn that Frank's held a torch for her for years, and I love a good bout of pining in my romance books.

Even though we have magical elements in the dragons and the world building and etc, what strikes me about this book is how grounded these characters feel. Aside from a few magical elements here and there, they live ordinary lives and go through the same things we do. Twyla, for example, feels very real in that she sort of lost herself in her first marriage and only began to come back to life and feel like herself after her husband died.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read and I can't wait for the next book in this series!

This has a ton of tropes I really enjoy — friends to lovers, older protagonists (Twyla is a grandmother in her fifties), dragons, musings on how women tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to domestic labor division, and of course… romance that does NOT lead to marriage. I found myself stopping and starting the book a bunch but I think that was mostly just me not being in the right mood. I was genuinely surprised by the twist and the end!

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for providing this eARC to share my honest thoughts on this book. I was a fan of the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy so was excited to read this one. First, I have to say it is always refreshing and appreciated to read a romance story with older couples as leads! Even more so if it's a romantasy! I hope this continues to be a common occurrence in these genres.

Twyla and Frank are in their fifties and best friends partnered as Tanrian Marshals. They have a sweet and strong bond but it has never crossed over friendship. They banter, love, respect and take care of one another. Things get exciting when they discover a glitter breathing dragon and a rogue dragon egg that hatches and imprints on Frank. Their discovery of dragons lead them on a dangerous adventure all the while confronting their feeling towards one another and if they want to risk their friendship for what could be more.

Typically, I am not a friends to lover troupe enthusiast but I couldn't help myself adoring Twyla and Frank's relationship. Maybe because it has such a strong foundation. I also enjoyed reading the growth Twyla specifically goes through by the end of this novel. The world Megan built with gods, demi-gods, talking hedgehogs, and dragons make it a amusing to read as well.

If you want to read a book that will leave you with all those warm and cozy feelings, I would recommend this one.

This series continues to be a ray of sunshine bursting its way through the stress and tedium of all my responsibilities. Bannen writes characters that are so ridiculously endearing that I get more invested in their well-being than my own.

Hart and Mercy were a delight, but Twyla and Frank were both adorable and heart-squeezingly real and relatable.

Twyla is the middle-aged mom to grown children, and Frank, the divorced dad next door, is her best friend, her partner at work, and completely, devotedly in love with her. It is an absolute AGONY watching these two goobers fall over themselves to always be there for each other while never admitting the extent of their feelings. You just want to shake them. But before she can be ready for love, Twyla needs to unlearn a lifetime of always taking care of everyone around her, never giving herself space to say no and never demanding the appreciation that she deserves.

In romance and romantasy markets that are flooded with implausibly competent teenage warriors and charmingly awkward 20-something ingenues, this book filled a niche that DESPERATELY needs more filling. Twyla and Frank have aches and pains, they worry about their relationships with their adult children, they sometimes struggle to feel desirable. Their insecurities are vivid and real, and despite that self-doubt, when they come together, it is HOT AS HELL.

I aspire to strike the perfect balance of wholesome and horny that Bannen brought to this book, as well as the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and I can't wait to see what the next story in the series will bring.

Also, dragons?

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank picks up 8 years after Hart and Mercy’s book. This time following longtime friends and fellow Tanrian Marshals, Twyla and Frank. I really enjoyed seeing Twyla and Frank's friendship turn into something more, but the star of the book for me was Duckers. I loved him so much and hope we get to see more of him. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series, but it was such a delight to read more about the world of Tanria. This book is perfect for fans of friends to lovers, dragons, and spunky side characters.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the e-arc.

4.5 ⭐️

The second installment for this series of interconnected semi-standalones (the world continued with new main characters with appearances from previous characters) was charming. There were so many aspects of this story I enjoyed. I love that Twyla and Frank are older than the typical fantasy duo. Their perspective was very appealing to me. Frank is a sweet as pie cinnamon roll, especially to Twyla and to baby dragons. I also love the baby dragon! I really like this world and look forward to the next addition.

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Bannen, and Orbit Books for a chance to be captivated by this eARC.

4.5 stars!

"The Undermining of Twyla and Frank" by Megan Bannen is a worthwhile, slightly zany follow-up to "The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy." I love that it follows two middle-aged characters who have already lived full lives, something I think we need more of in the romance community. I absolutely LOVED Twyla and her viewpoint. We learn about how she dedicated her entire life to being a wife and a mother, without complaint, though it left her unfulfilled and a little bitter at her situation. It is such a vulnerable, raw, visceral perspective, one that I am sure many women will be able to identify with! And Frank, ooooooh dear, sweet, dopey Frank. He's so blinded by the status quo that he can't see what's right in front of his face! I wanted to give him a lil' slappity-doo-dah, hahaha. I will say, I think Frank's POV takes a major backseat to Twyla's, not as a complaint, just as an observation. We *know* about Frank, but I would have loved his point of view at times. I did love hearing about him as a father. I just love them both soooooo much. Friends to lovers is not my favorite trope, but I think Bannen does it justice with this story. Plus, we get to see glimpses of Hart and Mercy, yay!! I loved seeing what they were up to once again. Gah, I love this series so, so much. My one complaint is that, as opposed to "Hart and Mercy," "Twyla and Frank" is a little more repetitive in terms of its content. I don't think this book needed to be as long as it was, but on the plus side, that means more time with these amazing characters! I absolutely cannot wait for the third installment in this series. I love Megan Bannen's writing and imagination! Please, please, please read this wonderful, tender, sweet book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Bannen, and Orbit Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.