The romance in this book was more laid back and it felt like it took a backseat especially in the beginning. I thought this was a fantastic wrap up to the series

A romance in a rich fantasy world that will have you laughing, crying and feeling hopeful.

Did I cry in chapter 3?
Yes. Yes I did.

I cried so hard at the end of the first book in the series, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. So I was NOT expecting chapter 3 to hit me in the heart the way it did. Megan is such a gifted writer for this ability.

This is the third book in the Hart and Mercy series, and Megan does an amazing job keeping the vibes the same, but changing enough so that the story feels fresh and new. The premise is that marshals, Rosie and Duckers, along with the inventor of the gates get stuck in Tanria when vines that only Rosie can see start taking over the area and destroy the only way out.

I love the deeper meditation on mortality and the meaning of life, which is a thread throughout the entire series, but is especially meaningful when two of our main characters are immortal.

Pick this up if you love
- Cute romance
- Forced proximity
- Creative worldbuilding
- Sacrificing for love
- Creepy vines taking over
- Fast moving plot
- Secrets

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is best read with your lover, while getting matching tattoos of creeping vines up your arms.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I’ve loved this whole series of fantasy romances by Megan Bannen and the wonderful world she built, full of gods and dragons and magic and also big personalities, plenty of humor, and lots of love. I’m sad to see it come to an end, but what a perfect ending. This book talks a lot about life and death, specifically about how death and the temporary nature of life makes that life more meaningful and special. What death when you just resurrect? What are you risking when you know it’s not a mortal risk? Living in Rosie’s shoes and meeting Adam really drove home the misery eternal life can be when you have to watch everyone you love die and leave you behind, alone. It’s enough to make you put walls up to protect your heart, even if you didn’t have a literal vibe growing through you, causing you pain every time you had a positive emotion about another person.

I’ve enjoyed the mythological aspects to each of the stories in this series, and this one especially so, since the main characters are both related to and part of myths. In this world the gods were very real people, and the stories weren’t just stories - they actually happened. Seeing these gods in their elements was fascinating, and I loved how Rosie and Adam were able to work together, with some help from those gods, to solve a problem that had been hanging around for millennia. Rosie’s relationship with her dad, the Trickster, was definitely fraught with disappointment and hurt, but in the end, they were able to communicate their true feelings and come to understanding one another’s pain and perspective.

This is definitely a book you won’t want to miss if you’re into fantasy romance with a lot of heart. There are spicy scenes, but not an over-abundance - this one in particular has more yearning, lusty thoughts than any action, haha. And of you haven’t read the first two books in the Hart and Mercy series, you’ll definitely want to check those out first because they set up a lot of the world building that pays off in this book. Plus they are both super fun and those characters pop up in this book, too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advance copy of this book for review purposes. It comes out on July 8, which is just enough time to let you read books 1 & 2 and sail right into this one.

Absolutely enjoyed The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam. It was the perfect blend of playfulness and yearning that can be difficult to find in more recent romance novels. Rosie’s story was perhaps one of my favorites, simply because of how well the whimsical/fantastical nature of the world was interwoven with loss and grief. Bannen’s Tanrian series has become one of my go-to reads, and I cannot stop recommending it!

A bittersweet end to a fun fantasy trilogy! I loved the first in the series (5 stars) and thought the second was fine (3 stars). The third and last was fine, too, and not the magic of The Undermining of Hart and Mercy.

I didn't connect much to the MMC and FMC in this installment. I don't remember the first book being so silly, but this FMC definitely veered a little too far at times for me (e.g. the FMC names her cat Blammo Tinky Fartface for seemingly no reason). The FMC often exasperated me, but I didn't feel much of any kind for the MMC. Their relationship also went from 0 to love in the blink of an eye. I went back a couple of pages to make sure I didn't miss anything when they declared their love out of nowhere.

The time jump 10 years forward from the last book was jarring, but I appreciated how the trilogy mostly wrapped up in the end. A main character being immortal while the love interest is mortal is always a tricky plot question, and it was handled fairly well here. The FMC's father plot point grated on my nerves, but that's more of a personal issue. The side characters Duckie and Zeddie finally got their relationship moment, but it was mostly off-screen, so it fell flat for me.

If you're looking for an offbeat fantasy romance, I think this will be amusing for you. I will look out for more from this author in the future! Thank you, Orbit Books, for the arc!

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

The third instalment of the Tanrian world, The Undercutting of Rose & Adam brings back all
of our favourite characters from the first two books, now ten years older. Specifically, we get lots of time with Duckers and Zeddie, and of course Rosie, with guest appearances from Hart & Mercy and Twyla & Frank.

This new story gives us more of an insight into their world and its gods, which I enjoyed, while still giving us a cute romance like we’ve come to expect from Megan Bannen.

And, of course I love an FMC who takes her everyday lingerie very seriously - even when trapped on another plane battling mysterious shadow plants that only she can see.

Unfortunately I did find a lot of the dialogue in this one rather cringey. There were definitely moments of it in the previous two books, but I felt it overpowered in this one, which knocked its rating down a bit for me.

I will never stop recommending this series and gushing over how much I love this third installment. Cozy fantasy is absolute perfection.

This final visit to Tanria…delightful. I laughed, I swooned, and I felt so much joy watching Rosie and Adam get their time to shine. Megan Bannen delivers a farewell that’s everything I wanted. I will miss this world like crazy…but what a perfect send-off. No notes, just heart eyes.

Tropes you’ll find inside:
• Workplace romance (but make it awkwardly)
• Height difference (#shortkings)
• Small but mighty MMC
• Found family
• HEA that feels like a warm hug

Would I recommend it?
Without a doubt. If you loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy or The Undermining of Twila and Frank, you need this. A beautiful goodbye to a world full of magic, mess, and the most lovable weirdos.


Thank you Orbit and Hachette Audio for allowing me to enjoy the ARC and ALC in exchange for honest reviews.

The next novel set in Tanria, follows the immortal demigod Rosie Fox, who has been losing her sparkle in life. When her and her partner Duckers are heading back, she sees some black blobs in the machinery of the portal, and when she touches it - gets electrocuted and dies. She comes back to life, and realizes that she is the only one who can see the black stuff. Due to her incident, Dr. Adam Lee, the inventor of the portals, is called in to investigate. However, all the portals start to break down as the black growth appears in each one, thus Dr. Lee ends up calling for the evacuation of Tanria. Unfortunately, Dr. Lee, Rosie, Duckers, and of course Ducker's ex-boyfriend Zeddie Birdstall get stuck in the Mist together. Rosie becomes determined to crack the put-together Dr. Lee, but as she tries she learns the might be more tied to each other than she thought.

I freaking love these books. This world is so fun and all of the characters that Megan creates are colorful in their own unique ways. I really enjoyed Rosie (tall girls unite 6 ft and up club). I liked that this book was the opposite of romance books we see all the time with tall MMC and short FMC - instead we got tall bad ass FMC + short intelligent king MMC. I like how Megan Bannen interweaves romance with cozy mystery. Can't forget the little snack of spice she adds in as well - I think it's always done in the classy, just right amount to keep the book more focused on storyline rather than just "does it have spice" (those peeps are so annoying lol). I'm sad this book series has come to an end as I've loved everyone's journeys. I did hope that Duckers was going to have his own book, but glad Zeddie was in this book as well!

I really look foward to whatever Megan Bannen writes next. ALSO I have the Fairyloot editions and those things are stunning!!

📚𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📚
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒎 by Megan Bannen
𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 7/8/25
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Fantasy Rom-com
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 2 open door scenes
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨/𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩
🧡 Friends to lovers
🧡 Forced proximity
🧡 Grumpy sunshine
🧡 Slow burn
🧡 Only one dragon
🧡 Found family
🧡 Portals

I just love this world that Megan created and was very happy to return in the third installment. I was happy seeing characters from previous books make a return that made this book feel like a family reunion. However, front and center is Rosie who we met before and she is always a force to be reckoned with. She is larger than life, brazen and unapologetically herself. Her self confidence shines and her outgoing nature puts everyone at ease. I adore how Megan writes her main characters in a relatable way as they are not your conventional heroines.
Adam was such an interesting character and without spoiling anything I will say his character evolution was fascinating to see. His backstory really pulled everything together and connected the dots to some intriguing connections.
There was low angst and it was a slow placed relaxed read. The romance in the beginning was not the focal point and it allowed the story to shine and let you get to know the characters. However, towards the end things really heated up and our couple showed us what passion is about.
The banter was really fun and I found myself smirking a lot. There's also an amazing side character, Druckers, who deserves a mention as being the best side character throughout this series. He brought levity to every difficult moment.
The ending, though emotional, wrapped things up nicely and I'm looking forward to more books in this world if it's in the works.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannan

This is a fun little series featuring lots of romance, comedy and fantasy elements. My favorite is still the first in the series, but this was good as well! I enjoy watching the characters grow and change. I also like the fantasy elements.

Thanks @netgalley and @meganbannen for this book in exchange for a review!

❓Have you read any books in this series?

This whole series was a delight. I've loved every moment I got to spend in this world.

Rosie and Adam's story is full of affection, kindness, revelations, and love. Rosie is the POV character for this story. She's an immortal demi god who has been working for the marshals for many years. Due to the events of the previous books, Tanria is no longer the dangerous land it once was. Making the job of the marshals both easier, and more boring. Rosie and Duckers have been partners for the last 10 years (quite a time jump) and I've adored having Duckers as the glue that connects these stories together.

Rosie feels like what would happen if Pippi Longstocking grew up and discovered she couldn't die. She's headstrong. She has almost no verbal filter. She's physically large and capable. And a redhead. Love a redhead. She drives everyone around her crazy with her lack of care for her own wellbeing. She's happy to put herself in harms way because no permanent harm can come to her.

When the portals that allow for entrance and egress from Tanria start to malfunction, their inventor, Dr. Adam Lee, is called in to fix them. What Rosie sees, unlike those around her, is a shadowy vine invading the portal mechanism. These vines start growing throughout Tanria. As more of the four portals start to break down, the decision to evacuate the space is made. Rosie, Duckers, and Adam are at the final portal trying to hold it open and get the last of the people out. Only for them to be caught inside Tanria with one final straggler...Ducker's ex-boyfriend.

While the main focus of this story is on Rosie and Adam, the comedic relief that is Duckers and Zeddie is much needed. They got together in the first book. Broke up at the end of the second book. And we get their second chance in this book when they are now in their 30's. All grown up and sure of themselves.

Rosie has harbored a crush on Adam for five years. She met him once, helped him bandage a cut on his hand, and then never saw him again. The more time she spends with him, the more her attraction for this robotic, brilliant, short man grows. I have to mention his height. Mostly because everyone comments on it in this book. And because Rosie is incredibly tall. Her inconvenient thirsting after Adam while they are in this dire situation feels comedic and lovely. She can't help it that everything he does seems to fan the flame of her desire.

Throughout this book we learn more about certain gods and lore that are part of the religion. This a world where the gods are real and are still active. These are not hypotheticals. Rosie's demigod nature is just one example of the effect the gods are still having.

Like all of these books, the spice is light and the burn is slow. By this point, I honestly would've been surprised if it hadn't been that way. By the time we got to it I was jumping for joy. The tension had been tensioning. I was so happy for these two.

Final note, it's not easy to make a character like Rosie feel grounded. While she's an oddball, her head is full of hurt, of past trauma, of under stable decisions, and a longing for a future with meaning. Those kept her feeling real to me. And I loved her obsession with incredible fancy lingerie. Such a fun detail that kept coming back in the best of ways.

Yayyy that was such a good ending to the series! 🥹 💖

Picking up 10 years after Twila and Frank ends, this book focuses on Rosie, a delightfully jaded demigod, and Adam, a rather reserved scientist and inventor. Kind of an insta-love situation but whatever, they are fantastic together in a unique way.

Then we have creatures like the nimkilim who are always a hoot and a half, we get lots of time with Duckers and Zeddie and the dragons, and cameos from everyone else we know and love from the first two books. Lots more world building and mythology, too. ✨

If you ask me what I’d consider to be the most underhyped series, this.is.it! I will always adore the land of Tanria with my whole heart! (Hart?😊)

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

Rosie Fox, who’s a demigod, has been patrolling Tanria as a marshal for decades. She comes across a problem at one of the portal sites, leading to the portal’s inventor and engineer to come out. Adam Lee comes out in person to repair the damage and hopefully be on his way. Throughout trying to fix the portals, Rosie Fox and Adam Lee end up trapped inside the Mist and can’t figure a way out. While in the Mist, they face unexpected obstacles and have to trust one another if they want to stay alive.

At the beginning of the book, I thought it was a bit slow and somewhat confusing. However once everyone was in the Mist and events started picking up, I really enjoyed the book. I definitely need to go back and read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and The Undermining of Twyla and Frank now.

Arc Review: The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam

🌟🌟🌟/🌶️

Thank you to Orbit for the ARC of The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam!

I was genuinely sad to say goodbye to this quirky universe Megan Bannen has built. If you’ve read the first two books in this cozy fantasy series, you’ve already met Rosie, a demi-god marshal with a habit of dying... a lot. 😆

It was great to finally get her POV and peek inside the mind of a character who’s fully aware of her own immortality. That said, Rosie sometimes felt a bit childish for someone who's lived 150 years, but she absolutely nails the sunshine FMC archetype with a touch of badass.

Adam, our grumpy inventor MMC, builds the portals that allow travel in and out of Tanria. When the portals start to malfunction, he and Rosie team up to fix them, only to get stuck in Tanria themselves (along with zeddy and duckers).

This was a good conclusion to the Hart & Mercy series, with a satisfying HEA for everyone—including Duckers and Zeddy!

Heads up: this is a very slow burn, don’t expect even a kiss until around the 70% mark. The focus is more on the adventure and emotional growth than on steam.

Tropes:
Cozy fantasy
Grumpy x Sunshine
Found Family
Mysterious MMC
Final book in a trilogy

4.5 stars. 2 chili peppers?

If you are sleeping on this series, WAKE UP AND READ IT NOW. Megan Bannen can do no wrong in my opinion.

I read book 1 back in 2024 for book club one month and right away, I fell in love. Megan has an unmatched ability to build an entire world without making it feel like it's clogging up the story or dragging everything on. She sprinkles in stories and tidbits about the world and its history and relevant famed characters with ease and makes it so digestible, you don't even realize it's world building until you look back and realize you've been so immersed in an entire realm. Which is especially wild for this world, where EVERYTHING is different than the reality we live in, to the names of the days of the week to the countless gods (both old and new), to the technology (which is kind of similar but still different?).

This book is no exception to Megan's genius. Adam and Rosie are incredible characters. We get to see a super tall, strong, badass FMC and a kind, selfless, short king MMC and they are such a breath of fresh air. Rosie is funny and quick-witted, she holds nothing back - she is an force to everyone she encounters. Adam is quiet and subdued, the opposite of Rosie, but it doesn't take long for them to fall hard. And let's not forget about our favorite side kick, Duckers. He is once again guilty of stealing the show. Honestly, these books would have a completely different tone and feel without him as the co-lead. I just love all of these characters and the entire world they exist in, and I am so soooo sad that my time in Tanria is now coming to an end.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review :)

As always, Bannen has given us a treat. This world that she's created is so fascinating and I would plop by butt down and read any story she deigns to give us. Bannen's special brand of humor overflows from the pages, which is LOVELY. Rosie is such a fun character, but her relationship with Adam left a teensy bit to be desired for me. The revelation of who Adam actually is was easy to sus out, but the explanation and connection with Rosie and the plot was compelling. I loved getting more Duckers. That boy (I guess, man now) has my heart. It was wonderful to see him and Zeddie come back to one another. I also loved seeing all the other characters from the previous novels. Hart and Rosie's relationship was beyond delightful. The audio narrator was fantastic and fully captured Rosie in all her spunk and glory. Ultimately, this series is incredibly unique and a fun romp in a fantasy western setting and you will not regret a single second of the time spend in Tanria and Eternity.

Really enjoy this series, I love all the characters and the story line is always a fun time. I will continue to read any books this author writes.

Marshal Rosie Fox is assigned to stay with Dr Adam Lee when he goes to fix Tanria's broken portals, but the portals prove more difficult to fix than expected, and Rosie and Adam end up stuck in Tanria along with Rosie's marshal partner Penrose Ducker and his ex, Zeddi.

I loved how much deeper this got into some of the lore with the new and old gods in this series. And I loved that the time jumps showed how much Tanria and the marshals have changed since the first book in this series. I thought the way the series touched on love and family and death and grief was beautiful.

5 ⭐ 2 🌶️ 5 🎧

Excuse me while I bawl 😭 I think that was it, I think this was our last trip to Tanria, and I am un freaking well. Megan just wrapped this series up in the most beautiful bow and while I am devastated, I am also so thrilled because what a dang ride that was. I have loved every last trip to this wonderful world and I am grateful for every moment.

I absolutely adored Adam and Rosie. They were so different, but so perfect for each other and I loved watching them fall in love. The handkerchiefs 🥹 the secrets 😳 the undying love 😍 they were just everythinggggg and I couldn't get enough. There were so many little moments with these two...

The epilogues were beyond perfect. I teared up a bit out of sheer happiness that all of these characters I have loved so deeply these past few years were doing so amazingly well in the end.

And the audio was superb. Jim Frangione and Kacie Rogers did a wonderful job bringing these characters and this world to life and I'm so happy I got to listen to them tell this story.

Thank you so much to Orbit for the advanced copies.