WOW that was such a wild ride! I really enjoyed Rosie's cameos in the first two books, and I had so much fun being in her head for this book. I am soooo happy to see her get her HEA. The entire story was so exciting from beginning to end. I thought Adam was so interesting and I could just tell there was more to him, but that was nothing like I could have imagined. IT WAS AMAZING.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen is book 3 in the Hart and Mercy series. I have enjoyed the previous books and liked this one as well. I suggest reading the previous books to help you understand the setting more. But if you jump into this one you could still understand it and enjoy it.

Rosie is an immortal demigod that has patrolled Tanria for decades. She dies (again) from an electrocution when she was exploring a portal with shadowy thorns. Adam Lee is the creator of the portals. They need to work together after being trapped inside the Mist. It was enjoyable to hear their story.

It is narrated by Jim Frangione and Kacie Rogers. They did a nice job. Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

4⭐️ This was so cute. I love that Adam was kind of awkward and clueless. Rosie was spicy and fearless. 4.5⭐️narration from Jim Frangione and Kacie Rogers. When I tell you Adam was weird in the best way, Jim made that work. Kacie did a wonderful job bringing out Rosie’s spunk while keeping her real with the hurt from her past.

Rosie is getting bored of patrolling of Tanria. She is a demigod after all. One day a man named Adam Lee comes to check on one of the portals. Unfortunately, the fix turns into a big problem as both Rosie and Adam get stuck in the Mist. Will they be able to handle each other. What happens with they find a way back. Will they both get back or one have to stay.

Thank you @hachetteaudio, @orbitbooks_us, @netgalley, and Megan Bannen for the advanced listener and reader copy. #hachettepartner #theundercuttingofrosieandadam #meganbannen

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Thank you so much to @hachetteaudio @netgalley @meganbannen for my review audiobook!

I have been so excited for this book since I finished The Undermining of Twyla and Frank in October 😭

I love these books so much. They’re such a comfort series for me now, and this one was everything I needed it to be! I loved being back in Tanria and getting to learn about Rosie and Adam, as well as getting to hear about beloved characters from the first two books (I’m a total Duckers stan). And I loved the audio of this one, it was such a fun listen and I loved the narrator!! If you’re in the mood for a cozy, heartwarming fantasy romance, please give this series a try!!

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is one of my absolute favorite romances and I have loved getting to return to their world time and time again.
The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam takes place about ten years after Frank and Twyla’s book. Rosie Fox is a statuesque 157 year old demigod who has always found joy in the small pleasures - good music, a cozy home and luxurious undergarments, to be specific. Lately, she can’t seem to stop dying. When the portals into Tanria start malfunctioning, Rosie notices something strange that only she can see. Portal creator Adam Lee is called in to help, but the problem is more complicated than expected. Somehow the pair find themselves trapped in Tanria alongside exes Penrose Duckers and Zeddy Birdsall.

I’ve been curious about Rosie Fox since she was first mentioned in TUOHAM, and I’m so glad her story is that one that wraps up this trilogy. Kacie Rogers did an excellent job with narration and giving life to Rosie and all of the other characters we meet along the way. I had no problem distinguishing between characters. Rosie and Adam are definitely opposites, but I loved their connection. Who doesn’t love a bashful short king? This book is different from the others in the trilogy in that we spend the majority of the novel in Tanria, and I’m so glad the author decided to do that. Tanria has changed a lot since the defeat of the Drudges in book one and I loved seeing how the lands have changed over the past decade. We also learn more about the lore of the land, and meet a few more of the gods who have only been mentioned thus far. And the dragons are back!

And I’m so glad we got to catch up with all of our favorite characters from previous books (Zeddy + Duckers forever 🩷). While I’m sad to see this trilogy end, I think this was the perfect way to end it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for a review copy. I can’t wait to see what Megan Bannen writes next and I look forward to rereading these books in the future.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a very cute and cozy fantasy with a sprinkle of mystery and just the right touch of age-gap romance. I really liked Rosie—she’s a total badass—and Adam’s slightly nerdy charm grew on me. The narration was strong as always; I listened at 2.0x and found the voice acting really engaging.

That said, I didn’t expect the amount of god-related themes in this installment, and it pulled me out of the story at times. Definitely still a fun listen, just not my favorite from Megan Bannen.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC!

Thank you NetGalley, Orbit, and Hachette Audio for both the ARC and ALC

**edited to add my review of the ALC- 7/7/25**

Story 5 ⭐️
Narration 4 ⭐️

It feels like an ending and a goodbye, but a beautiful one. I have loved all three of the Hart and Mercy books, but this one felt different, it hit harder. Rosie and Adam, their story felt special and I loved both of them so much. Rosie with her lack of restraint and filter, and Adam with his dry humor and endearing quirks. And of course, you can never have enough Duckers. If this is truly the last of the Hart and Mercy series, it will have ended in the most perfect way possible.

**I was lucky enough to get the ALC as well as the ARC, and being able to listen to the final chapter in this trilogy that quickly became one of my favorites. Kacie Rogers does an excellent job, and I loved her Rosie, and the production quality made this a fun listen. It made this being the goodbye to this series even more special.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Megan Bannen for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a whimsical, cozy, and heartfelt conclusion to a delightfully quirky romantasy series. I had such a lovely time returning to this world, it’s one of those stories where the setting, characters, and humour feel like a warm hug.

The strength of this series lies in its quaint yet richly layered world, brimming with bizarre creatures, magical oddities, and heartfelt humor. Megan Bannen’s world-building continues to be both immersive and brimming with personality, offering equal parts magic and mischief.

Rosie is a delightful protagonist, she’s fun, grounded, and brimming with charm. Her narrative voice shines even more through the fantastic audiobook performance by Kacie Rogers, whose slightly raspy tone gave Rosie just the right blend of spunk and sincerity. She made Rosie feel like someone you might’ve met in the roaring twenties.

Adam brought a dry, understated humour that was a refreshing contrast to the whimsical tone of the world. His subtle wit worked far better for me than if he’d been overly comedic. The chemistry between Rosie and Adam did feel a bit rushed, it leans into the “insta-love” side of the spectrum, which isn’t usually my thing. I would’ve liked a bit more buildup to emotionally invest in their relationship, especially given the short span of their shared story.

However, their connection made sense within the lighthearted nature of the novel, and their banter definitely brought plenty of smiles.

As for the audiobook, Kacie Rogers absolutely nailed the tone, and Jim Frangione provided a great complementary touch in his limited but impactful role narrating the lore. Together, their voices really brought the world and its characters to life.

While the central romance didn’t completely win me over, I loved the humour, adventure, and emotional touches that carried through the book. The series’ signature tone remains intact here, equal parts endearing and eccentric.

One thing I would’ve loved more of is Duckers and Zeddie. Their story deserved its own spotlight, and while Bannen tried to give them a satisfying send-off, I felt like the timeline skipped over some of the most compelling parts of their journey.

This book (and series) is perfect for readers who enjoy cozy fantasy with older protagonists, cheeky humour, magical mishaps, and a strong found-family vibe. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s part of the charm.

Despite the romance not fully clicking for me, the world, the humour, and the heart made this a memorable read. I'm sad to see the trilogy end, but so grateful for the magic it brought.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Kacie Rogers did an incredible job bringing the story to life. She gave each character such a distinct voice and kept things fun, emotional, and easy to follow. Jim Frangione also added a nice touch of depth to the narration.

This is the third book in Megan Bannen’s series, and I’d recommend reading the others first to fully appreciate the character arcs and relationships. Duckers totally stole the show for me, and I loved that Adam was a short king. Some of the FMC’s dialogue came off as a little annoying at times, but the overall story still had a lot of heart. The blend of fantasy and slow burn romance worked really well.

The production quality was top notch and made for a smooth, enjoyable listen. Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the chance to check this one out! All opinions are my own.

The beginning started off pretty strong, but by midway through I was pretty bored. I had to drag through the last half, and I missed the fun spunky characters that we had started with. There were a few good moments that made the 2nd half of the book redeemable. Not my favorite, but not a total flop either. If you liked the first couple books, definitely keep going with this one.

THE UNDERCUTTING OF ROSIE AND ADAM by Megan Bannen is the third in the Hart and Mercy series (which began with THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY, followed by THE UNDERMINING OF TWYLA AND FRANK).

This genre-defying series is a Western fantasy paranormal romance. Rosie is a demigod, and a Tanrian Marshal, guarding the Mist that separates the normal world from the prison of the Old Gods. When the portals start malfunctioning, they need to call in the inventor, Dr Adam Lee. He is a stuffy, uptight, formal kind of man, which is at odds with Rosie's friendly, open, down-to-earth demeanor. Opposites attract, and she begins to try to win his trust, and figure out what's really going on with him.

Much like HART AND MERCY, the themes involve a demigod MC wrestling with the loneliness of immortality, and feelings of abandonment by the gods that fathered them, and the mortal mothers who eventually passed away.

Lest that make the book seem like a downer, it's also very funny and un-put-downable (technical term). The mythology of the Old Gods and Tanria are always interesting. The characters' banter is fun. Characters who are middle aged -- or at least, immortals long past adolescence -- are refreshing when so much of fantasy and romance both have a preponderance of new adults. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Tanria and the surrounding lands, because the world feels so expansive and intriguing.

The lowdown on tropes:
#ShortKingTallQueen
#GrumpySunshine
#OpenDoor
#CozyFantasy
#SlowBurn
#RomCom
#ParanormalRomance
#MiddleAgeRomance
#DeadbeatDadGods

Thanks to @netgalley for the audio book ARC! The narrator did a fantastic job.

Readers of Bannen’s Tanria fantasy series will enjoy this sweet ending to our time in Tanria. While I loved the Duckers and Zeddie moments and also really enjoyed the tie-in with Tanrian lore (and of course all of the cameos by our favorite human and non-human characters), this was my least favorite of the three. The romance felt forced and the insta-love was not believable. I did like the short-king representation but Adam as a character fell flat. Rosie’s anachronisms were also off-putting and felt jarring, especially since her age should have had her speaking more old-fashioned if anything. I did love this series overall and am glad we got to go back one more time, even if it didn’t 100% hit the mark for me. 3-3.5/5 stars

I tandem read the eARC with the ALC and the narrator did a fine job, although the male voices did start to blend together a bit by the end. The production quality was great, though, and the audio kept my attention as it started to flag with the eARC towards the end. 4/5 for the audio.

Pub Date: 7/8/2025
Review Published: 7/7/2025
eARC and ALC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publishers (Orbit and Hachette Audio, respectively) in exchange for an honest review.

This series is such a good time. If you're looking for a cozy fantasy romance that has dragons and mystery in it look no further. I didn't know I wanted to have a book focused on the character Rosie, but I apparently did. I really enjoyed learning more about Rosie and more about this world. I also felt we got two romance stories in one. The main one being Rosie and Adam and the secondary side romance of Pen and Zeddy. I really liked the back story of Adam and definitely made his character more interesting. The narration was done very well and really captured the characters personalities.

I post reviews on goodreads, Fable, and Storygraph under the username dragonlilly16

This is the third book in a trilogy, but it can be read as a standalone, each book follows different characters. Still, I recommend reading them all!

In this one, we’ve got a very tall 157 y.o demigoddess😩🤌🏻 Honestly, if that doesn’t make you want to start reading, I don’t know what will!

This installment felt more magical, more fantasy-heavy than the previous ones (at least to me). There are even more dragons, sea horses, portals, and adventures!

Honestly, I’m writing all this while tearing up, completely cried my eyes out at the end. Thank you for that...

I just love the atmosphere of this world. A magical Wild West? 5/5 just for the concept! Add in the found family and the way all the characters are so beautifully connected, it made me tear up in the softest, most sentimental way. I adore the humor and the lightness of this series. I’m definitely reading everything this author writes!

The awkwardness between the main characters was so funny, and their chemistry was a perfect slow burn. Plus the side characters? Total cinnamon rolls!

And I couldn’t stop smiling at how much Rosie adored quality lingerie, girl, you’re not a demigoddess, you’re a goddess.
Adam? Also a cinnamon roll. I just wanted to protect them all!

I listened to the audiobook, it was pleasant, easy to follow, and added so much to the atmosphere! I felt like I was right there with them.

⭐️4,5/5

• She’s tall, he’s short
• Age gap (honestly, a gap in everything)
• Found family
• Gods and demigods
• Saving the world (as always)
• Dragons

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audio ARC!

Firstly, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me listen to this before it's officially published.

I'll start with the narration: I absolutely ADORED it! She had a real talent for putting emotion into the characters' words and tones. I really enjoyed that you could tell who was talking without having to wait to be told. Her accents and little quirks added so much to the story. It was a joy to listen to her tell me a story.

The story itself was unique and memorable. I'll admit that I started with this book instead of book one. It works just fine as a stand-alone, but I'll be going back to read 1 & 2 to learn more about some of the characters that were interesting to me. I enjoyed getting to know Rosie and her struggles, and the more I learned about Adam the more I liked him, too. Their instant chemistry (though seemingly one-sided) was so much fun. I'm not ashamed to admit that my absolute favorite character was Duckers, and I want him to get a book all to himself! He had me laughing out loud in almost every chapter.

I love Tanria. I love how a strange little world can bring us such delightful characters and such amazing stories.
I fell in love with this world since Hart and Mercy's story (and I believe in a way they their story will always be my favorite) and kept loving it through the following books.

In this book we have Rosie. She is a demigod, immortal and a Tanrian marshal. She is sassy, funny, has no filter and is the perfect friend with an amazing big heart. She has had so much in her century life that she starts to believe that immortality is just not all that good.
She has a good life, good friends (with her best friend and partner being Duckers), but something's missing.
When the portals to Tanria start to fail and they are having trouble fixing them they have to ask for outside help.
Adam is the inventor of the portals, so that makes him the perfect person to fix them. He is an introvert and kind of grumpy, and has severall walls to not let people get close.
Once he gets to the portals and he realises it will be harder than they though, they get into Tanria to try fixing from the inside.
What they don't expect is being stuck there. And with all that is happening Rosie and Adam can't help being close to each other and realising that they have so much more in common than they think. And their slow, slow burn is so worth the wait!

"No one is better than you, because no one is you."

They work together to release Tanria, and themselves. But at what cost?

Well, I loved Rosie funny inner monologs. And not only the monologs but her perky sense of humor. She was direct, quirky, independent and extremly kind and supportive.
Adam was a little awkward at first. He was so closed off that it took me a while to understand him better, but with time and as the story developed we got to understand and love him better.
And I loved Duckers. I forgot how much of an important and special side character he was. It was so much fun to see his evolution. I loved him even more now!

I listened to this audiobook almost all at once, since I couldn't wait to know what was going to happen next. I was glued to the story and the narrative. I thing the narrator did an excelent job and managed to catch all the characters little details so we could get into those character better.

The only sad part is to let this world go, and know we'll stop being able to come back to it. But if it was to say goodbye, it was the perfect way to do it!

Very interesting universe with great characters. I need to read the other books of the series. Narrators did a wonderful job.

I received an arc from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

⭐4.25. I was so happy to be back in this world again, even if it is 10 years after book 2. Especially excited to see Duckers (my favourite this whole series) and the dragons again! 😆 I really liked the nimkilin in this one.. Gabbo! His hippie-style dialogue was entertaining!

We follow Rosie's story this time around, who is an immortal demigod and a Tanrian Marshall, partnered with Duckers. Rosie is a really fun character. Not being able to die, she fully dives straight into things - "act now, ask questions/think never"... something like that. But she often ends up dying in the process haha (then slowly waking up in the hospital again or wherever else she is). She's a tall woman with a potty mouth, very blunt and direct, who loves her fancy undergarments! Love her! "Fuck it, I'll do it for science!"

Then we have Dr. Adam Lee, a genius inventor and short king, who seems very reserved, quiet, polite, and a bit of a loner, with dry humour, and is nonchalant about things he should be very chalant about! He's very much the opposite of Rosie. Don't worry, we see more personality shine through during the story! We also see Duckers and Zeddie seeing each other again in probably 10 years since they split. It was nice seeing their relationship re-bloom and grow. Being trapped in Tanria, with forced proximity, will definitely help nudge things!

I really enjoyed this story. Written just like the first two books (i.e. very well, and fun to read!). I feel like this may be the last story in this series, and I'm sad. But everything ended so well, and along with Rosie and Adam, we get updates on the rest of the crew and their families as well (Mercie and Hart, Twyla and Frank, Duckers and Zeddie!). Also, special shout-out to Salt Licker! He makes a couple appearances, and we also get to see him years later! Love this equimaris!!

I did this book on audio (first two were e-books), so it was fun to hear the terminologies used through a narrator this time around. Seems I pronounce everything right in my head the last time! haha I really liked the narrator, Kacie Rogers, she did Rosie well! (Jim Frangione spoke for a smidge, but also good!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachehette Audio for the ARC!

"I did grow quite hungry after several months, and a shark ate me." "What the fuck?" "You don't want to know." "I super do, though."

Rosie is a tall read haired and red eyed demigod, on top of her striking appearance she also happens to be one of very few demigods that is immortal. Rosie’s immortality has lead her to live a risky life and gained be a bit of a reputation. When she notices something weird going on with a portal, a smudge in the works that only she can see, her boss decides to call in the engineer that invented the portal Adam. When the portals malfunctioning leave Rosie and Adam stuck they try to figure out how they are going to fix it.

I really enjoy this whole series, it takes place in one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve seen to the date and I’m always happy to dive back in. In the first boom we spend a lot of time with Hart struggling with the possibility of being immortal and in this one we actually see the pain that immortality has caused Rosie. I adored Adam watching his character open up and warm to everyone around him was really special. The twist was pretty satisfying even if I saw it coming pretty early into the book.

Kacie Rogers does a really wonderfully job bringing Rosie to life.

3⭐️

C'est bien dommage mais je n'ai pas accroché ...

Déjà, il faut préciser que j'ai découvert la saga avec ce 3e tome. Est-ce que ça a entaché ma lecture ? Pas vraiment. Je pense que c'est bien mieux de lire les tomes dans l'ordre mais il est possible de les lire indépendamment.

Côté histoire 🖊
Le roman commençait bien, on découvre Rosie qui est un personnage haut en couleur avec un caractère bien trempé, je l'ai beaucoup aimée. Le lecture est plongé dans un univers unique avec un fonctionnement bien particulier qui est intriguant mais tout retombe rapidement à plat.

Ce tome est plutôt un huis clos où Rosie et Adam se retrouvent enfermés dans le "Mist". On perd donc le côté intriguant de l'univers créé par Megan Brannen ainsi que la found family. Les actions tournent en rond et j'ai au final trouvé le tout assez plat. Seuls Duckers met du peps dans cette histoire.

La romance tombe un peu comme un cheveux dans la soupe. L'attirance entre Rosie et Adam est soudaine au milieu tout cet imbroglio avec le Mist, je vous avoue ne pas y avoir trop cru ...

Côté audio 🎧
Là par contre j'ai adoré ! La narratrice est incroyable et a su donner vie à Rosie. J'ai aimé son accent, ses intonations et le tempo qu'elle utilisait. Rien à redire, sa voix a bercé mes oreilles 😌