If you showed me this cover and told me the story within would have me crying over a well developed and beautiful fantasy romance, I'd say you were wrong. But gosh did this get me. Megan Bannen has created one of the best romantasy series out there. The dialogue and banter are hilarious, the world building is fascinating, and dragons.... need I say more?

Quite a lot of cussing as well which I found a bit gratuitous and over the top. I preferred the first in the series the most. This particular love story wasn’t as gripping.

I really wanted some tall fmc / short king romance, but this was tedious and annoying.

First of all, we don't even meet the mmc until 50-page mark. Instead we're getting cameos from book 1 and book 2 and some random events like fmc's father visiting or some funeral of a dad of a side character. I get in a series of interconnected standalones we'll have cameos of previous couples but for the love of romance, let us first have a meet cute and engage with the current couple before you start self-indulgent cameo scenes.

Second, the writing style did not work for me at all. It was full of meme-speak that I'd already find cringe in a contemporary rom-com not mentioning secondary world fantasy. We had things like fmc imitating her cat saying "pet me, hooman" or telling herself "this is a problem for Future Rosie" or joking to a friend "you luvs me". They also had cringe nicknames for each other like RoFo and Penny-D (and these are just friends, not the romantic pairing). Her cat was called "Blammo Tinky Fartface" and she thought herself very clever for that one...

Third, there was way too much focus on irrelevant, uninteresting, mundane details like endless description of Rosie's clothes or bath. The funeral ritual maybe made more sense to describe to show us the religion and the temple in this fantasy world, but it still felt boring and infodumpy. I don't see the need for lengthy descriptions of very ordinary (totally not fantastical) clothes for the sake of it. And oh, to prove fmc is so feminine! I'm tired of books having to constantly hammer down how fmc is feminine after all despite some trait perceived as unfeminine (here: she's tall).

To sum it up, I'm really sad that this didn't work for me, it's so rare I can find tropes I adore (like here: a reverse height gap - she's tall, he's short), but there needs to be a captivating book attached to my beloved trope, trope alone isn't the book.

I would recommend this book to fans of the series who want to spend more time with Mercy & Hart, Twyla & Frank and other side characters, and people who like modern slang and memey humour in their romances.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for the ARC.

This book is as magical as it gets! More so than the first two books. I wish the second book was as magical as this one. I think this is my favorite of the series so far! I loved Rosie and Adam. I loved how they became everything to one another after living such lonely lives. Adams’s twist left me speechless but it was done perfectly. I also loved how Duckers is in Al 3 books and that we saw his story end as well! Highly recommend reading this! So sad we are saying goodbye to this world!

I think the beautiful thing about finding an author like Megan Bannen, is that you have an author you’ll read for the rest of your life. Hart & Mercy? goner. Twyla & Frank? goner. Rosie & Adam? goner. and I will continue to be a goner when the books are just THAT good.

“It’s not considered breaking and entering if we’re law enforcement officers, right?”
“Act first, think never,” said Rosie. “Let’s go.”

The friendship between Rosie and Duckers meant the absolute world to me. Duckers has been my favorite character since the first book, and of course while I loved seeing everyone’s stories unfold, he’s always been there and seeing him & his BEST FRIEND aka the baddest of the baddies aka Rosie go through love life problems together was adorable.

An absolutely phenomenal conclusion to the trilogy. I laughed, I cried, I laughed while crying which is how you REALLY know it was a good book. So many aspects came full circle in the most beautiful way possible and I was squinting through tears with a smile on my face.

Pub Date July 8 2025

Thanks so much to Orbit Books for this eARC.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

3.5 stars
Rosie was spicy fun in the previous two books and now she gets to bring that main character energy to the latest crisis in Tanria. And in this one, we get more dragons!! I always enjoy the stories in this fun series. The narration was also great! It felt like the ending of the series but I hope there will be a next one.
*Thanks to Hachette Audio, Orbit Books & NetGalley

📖 The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam
✍️ Megan Bannen
Release Date: July 8th, 2025
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rep: LGBTQ+ side characters, tall woman vs. short man
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, found family, opposites attract, slow burn 🔥

This has easily became one of my top books of the year! If you love smart-mouthed FMC’s & brooding MMC’s who actually turn out to be a teddy bear, this book is for you. This cozy fantasy felt like a breath of fresh air.

Rosie, our 6’5 demi-god & Adam, our 5’5 (with shoes on) portal inventor. My favorite detail of this entire book is that SHE is the tall one. My husband is 5’5, while I’m 5’10, so seeing a short king being represented so beautifully in this book brings my heart so much joy. The romance was such a slow-burn in the best way, but once the sparks flew, they FLEW. I have not stopped giggling since I started reading.

The side characters gave me absolutely everything I could have asked for. Duckers and Zeddie made the book 1000x better.

Every character brought something to the table that was unique, wholesome, and left me wanting more moments with them each time. I have laughed to the point my stomach has hurt, I have swooned to the point I lectured my husband on his romance skills, and I have cried incredibly hard at the ending.

The world of Tanria is incredibly whimsical and unlike any other world I’ve ever read about. I mean, pink dragons?? That’s absolutely perfect. I want to live in a world with pink dragons, and nothing will be changing my mind.

Megan Bannen truly has the most creative mind to be able to come up with a world that is so intriguing and original. She is now officially one of my auto-buy authors. I haven’t read The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy or The Undermining of Twyla & Frank yet, but I will be going back & reading these immediately.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the advanced reader’s copy of The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam. This is my fully honest review.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is the third and final book in this series, and I absolutely loved it. I think Megan Bannen's choice to feature different main characters throughout the series is a lot of fun. We briefly met Rosie and Adam in the previous books, and reading their story was so much fun. Rosie's sunny personality perfectly complements Adam's dry sense of humor. The humorous tone was excellent, and I honestly wasn't expecting to ugly cry at the end. The world building in this series is fascinating; although I still don’t understand some parts, Tanria is definitely a place I’d love to visit if it were real. Overall, this was an amazing conclusion to a wonderful series. Also, we get to see the previous characters, and everyone receives a happy ending. So definitely pick this series. I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will forever have a soft spot for Tanria and its Marshalls 🥹 I’m so sad to say goodbye to this fun and crazy world full of the most big hearted characters! This was an excellent send off for the series and I absolutely adored Rosie and Adam’s story.

Rosie, a spitfire immortal Demi-god Marshall, finds herself babysitting the handsome and stone cold (and short) Adams’s portals around Tanria fail. Rosie can see a mysterious vine choking the portals mechanics but no other can see them. The kicker? Unreliable portals tend to leave one stuck with said stone cold individual in Tanria. Add in Rosie’s partner Duckers and his ex Zeddie and you’ve got a real fun crew. With the vines worsening, and options dwindling, can this oddball crew find a way to get out and save Tanria?

I will forever and always be happy with more Duckers and this book gives us just that. I loved Rosie and Adam, their back stories, and the overall arc of their romance. I do wish the romance started up a little earlier and slower, it felt a bit 0 to 100 to me. The ending was *chefs kiss* for both the action and lore as well as the overall wrap up to the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC of this gem!

Heartwarming conclusion to the Tanria series with Rosie finally front and center. After hearing about the immortal, Rosie, since the beginning of Hart and Mercy's story, she final gets her own moment to shine. Bannen does a wonderful job of highlighting loss and loneliness in this tale of romance, familial love, and just you know the potential end of the world. It's fineeee. The characters manage to set everything to rights with Bannen's classic humor, wit, and some bittersweet moments, and of course a little hope and luck.

Rosie is a really fun character to follow. She is a bit different than Twyla or Mercy, as her bad luck to continuously keep dying makes her the most world-weary of the bunch. Her budding relationship with Adam is interesting to follow, especially as his past unfolds. Bannen does a nice job of pulling the larger world of Tanria full story in an fun and unique way. Adam's story is equal parts tragic and hopeful, making him the perfect match for Rosie. Though I wish we had gotten his POV!

I actually enjoyed the relationship between Rosie and her father. While is it a brief portion of the book, I think it demonstrated how much of an impact he had on Rosie and the choices she made as an adult. It was both bittersweet and heartwarming to see how that plotline played out.

Honestly, Zeddie and Duckers could not be contained in this book and truly stole the show for me a few times. Their banter, arguing, and just final return to each other was the lovely addition to the conclusion of this series. Those two just had the best humor to every story they are in.

Overall, sweet conclusion to this series and cannot wait to see where Bannen takes us next.

What a great wrap up to this super cozey fantasy RomCom trilogy. I don’t understand why this series isn’t more popular?! I love how Megan Bannen doesn’t rely on tropes or the stereotypical bodies/ages. Case in point: Rosie Fox, a 6’5” immortal demigod with red eyes, who never takes herself too seriously and her 5’5” “pocket man” with crooked teeth AKA Dr Lee. This book had a lot more of the lore from the world which was really fun to dive into. And the series staple, Duckers. If anyone needs to find love, find him and it’ll happen.

I think fans of the Emily Wilde trilogy who would’ve liked more romance will love these books.

Thanks Orbit Books for the ARC and opportunity to review early.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read and listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This series is so fun and original, and I think it doesn’t get talked about enough. I’m going to miss this world and characters. Rosie’s character is a lot of fun and liked her with Adam. Perfect grumpy/sunshine. Although the romance fell short for me. I enjoyed this story with mystery and romance and feels it ties the series up nicely. I loved finding out about what the previous books characters were up to. I do wish Duckers and Zeddie had their own book or a novella but at least we got a taste of them in this book.
If you like unique cozy fantasy with some romance, I highly recommend this series!!!

Rosie, a demigod and lingerie lover, had been patrolling Tanria for a long, long time. As she grapples
With her immortality the portals to Tanria begin to act up, bringing in the very posh inventor, Dr. Adam Lee. He invented the portals and is looking into why they are failing. As they do this, along with Rosie’s partner Duckers, they find themselves trapped in Tanria along with Duckers’ ex-boyfriend. As they wander and encounter a mysterious plant and strange creatures, Rosie can’t help her attraction to the quiet doctor.

I love these stories. They are so fun and original. Yet another lovely tale that made my day!

Thank you NetGalley, Orbjt, and Hachette Audio for both the digital ARC and the audio ARC! Spectacular, as always!

I was so excited to return to the delightfully magical and quirky world of Tanria for the third and final installment of this series. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was a pleasant surprise for me when I read it, and I have been invested in the characters and their stories ever since!

This book focuses on Rosie, an immortal demigod and Tanrian marshal, and Adam, a mortal doctor. They work together to uncover the cause of mysterious shadow thorns that are playing Tanria. The story is filled with Bannen’s trademarked humor and charm, and was the perfect ending to a truly wonderful trilogy!

If you haven’t read this series yet, add it to your TBR immediately! If you enjoy audiobooks, this one is narrated very well. The narrators do a great job with pacing, inflection, and articulation, and their variation in character voices is too notch as well. The expected publication date for The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is July 8, 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

So excited to also have gotten the audio of this book!! Excellent narration - perfect voices for each character! Totally adds to the story.

I’ve been in love with this series ever since first meeting Hart and Mercy, and getting to know Rosie and Adam was such a treat! Rosie’s immortal status and Adam’s total question mark of a life were so interesting- I love how we waited for all these little nuggets about Adam to drop slowly throughout. I felt sympathy for Rosie as the daughter of the Trickster and a woman who outlives absolutely everyone she knows… she was fleshed out and formed so well that I believe she could’ve my friend 😭

It’s a treat with each book to see the progression of the lives of folks we’ve loved in all three books. Starting the story with Mercy’s dad’s funeral was a tender way to reintroduce readers to the current situation for the story. And obviously we love to see Duckers and Zeddie!!!

Always giving five stars for Megan Bannen’s writing! Hooray!

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC. Somedays you just need a nice and cozy read and Megan Bannen always delivers. Rosie is larger than life without overshadowing her friends and family, while Adam is quiet, and dry witted but feels very 3D. The long held infatuation between the two was very cute, sometimes you just run into someone and you never forget them. I feel like Rosie and her dad was never truly resolved, it at least could’ve been a bit more fleshed out. Otherwise it was such a cute book and would highly recommend

I have really loved this series and I was very excited to get to this story.

I really liked Rosie. She's been fun in the glimpses we've seen of her and getting to be in her head is a damn delight. She's snarky and sassy and an absolute marshmallow. Adam is stiff and mysterious and somehow the perfect compliment to Rosie. Of course seeing Duckers and Zeddie was an added bonus.

Plot wise it was so good. I loved the slow unraveling of reveals, the meandering towards the build up, and the absolutely wonderful resolution. The last few chapters were some of the absolute best and exactly what I wanted for the end of this series.

Overall, I still love Hart and Mercy the most, but this one is a very very very close second.

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

4.5

This was a kooky, crazy, and wonderful way to wrap up this series. The world than Bannen created is wacky and weird and I was endeared to every minute I spent in it. The author really brought everything full circle and ended the story in a satisfying way that let us say goodbye to all our favorites. I loved the short king tall girl dynamic and felt invested in the overall fate of this world. I am really sad to see it go! I loved this series so much. Can’t wait to see what the author cooks up next

I want to personally thank whoever approved me for this arc because *sob* this is one of my all time favorites. The whole series is just weird, quirky, beautiful perfection and it's one of those I can read over and over again. Like seriously, person who approved me please know if we ever meet, I will offer you hugs and I am NOT a hugger.

All the stars!

Rosie is a brash Tanrian Marshall with excellent taste in clothes (and intimates--which is SUCH a fun detail. Us tall girls don't often get to do pretty things). When she notices something hinky with the portals between the regular world and Tanria (this place is a weird fever dream land with mushroom trees, furry rabbit frog things, and PINK EMPATHY DRAGONS THAT SNORT GLITTER!!!!!). Adam Lee, the inventor of the portals arrives to fix them and they have A Moment (many times). Adam is a short king, and I love that for Rosie. He worships her and the ground she walks on. His sense of humor is chef's kiss perfection and it aligns perfectly with Rosie's snark and lack of filter.

Adam and Rosie get trapped in Tanria and have to do all sorts of things in an attempt to escape. (She dies three times, and he has to ride a dragon, and he is terrified.) They make me go from laughing to gasping to crying within minutes. Megan Bannen pulled every single one of my heart strings and immediately had me laughing.

I also looooove love love Duckers and Zeddie, and seeing them interact was just an absolute treat on top of the perfect lacy goodness that is Rosie and Adam.

I can't recommend this series enough. It's humorous and weird and quirky, with lush writing and characters so varied and unexpected and complex you'll want to befriend them.

A huge Tanrian thank you to Orbit books for the ARC. I adored this one.

I received an arc for review, clearly this unhinged opinion is entirely my own.

This is the third book in the Hart and Mercy series, and it definitely has some of the same vibes as the first two in the trilogy. It's unique, fantastical, and charming, with excellent banter and vivid world-building. I love Bannen's immersive writing style. Some scenes are so heartfelt and wonderful, while others are filled with tension and suspense. However, the main romance and some parts of the story fell a bit flat for me, and the story overall was missing that special something that captivated me in the first book.

I'm a little bummed because I loved Hart and Mercy and liked Twyla and Frank, so I kind of expected to love this one too. I did like that the characters from the first two books were in this one. Some time has passed, and it is so wonderful, and a bit heartbreaking, to see what's happened in all of their lives.

For me, Duckers and Zeddy stole the show. I've loved Duckers throughout this whole trilogy, and he didn't let me down in this book. He's so funny and loyal and caring, and I just adore him and his wonderful friendship with Rosie. I also love, love, love the banter. The dialogue is absolutely top-notch.

The fantasy elements are great too, especially the dragons. You can never go wrong with dragons!! That being said, some of the plot points were outlandish, especially toward the end, and the romance between Rosie and Adam fell flat for me. I feel like it went from work acquaintances to love very quickly with little build-up, and I just didn't feel the chemistry between them. It also annoyed me how much Rosie's lingerie was brought up. It was talked about so much that each became an eye-roll moment for me.

Overall, this was just an ok read. It was my least favorite in the series, though there were some great, stand-out scenes that made it worth the read. Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.