Another fantastic continuation of this series. I enjoyed every step of the way. Please keep giving me more, Megan!!!! Your story telling is amazing!

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I decided to set it down and not finish it at about 55%, which is very unfortunate because I really liked the previous two in the series. I hope someone else enjoys it.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this fantasy romance series. Each book centers around a different couple, so each works as a standalone story. The worldbuilding for this world is not very straightforward, so if you like a lot of details, you will struggle with it. I mostly worked with general whimsical fantasy vibes and did not worry if nothing was really explained, as the romance is the core of the plot.

Unfortunately for this one, the worldbuilding ended up needing to be better explained to really understand where our couple gets trapped– the Mist. Sure, I can go with vibes again, but then I didn’t really understand why the situation was dire. I think if I read this one after the first book, I maybe would’ve had a better understanding, but it’s been 3 years since I’ve read the first book, so I have no idea.

As for the romantic plot itself, I was not very invested in this couple, unfortunately. Rosie is an immortal demigod who struggles with the fact that she’ll never die, but everyone she meets will. Adam is a very quiet engineer. He honestly does not have much personality and does not really open up over the course of the novel, so it was hard to see how the couple truly falls for one another. You also only get Rosie’s POV the whole book, which further closes off Adam to the reader. Then the plot of Adam needing to fix some portals that exist in this fantasy world for some reason was not very exciting. They are trapped but the world they are trapped in is not dangerous or anything. They have food and shelter. Sure, they are away from their family who are on the other side of the portal, but we don’t really know the characters’ family and Rosie doesn’t even have any living family. And again, the lack of detailed worldbuilding didn’t help. I wish there was a map at the very least to better picture what the geography looked like.

I’d recommend this if you’ve recently read the other books of this series and enjoy the author’s writing style. My favorite is certainly the first book with its alternating POV chapters and letter exchanges. The 2nd book is a strong follow-up with a cozier fantasy plotline. This last one is a bit to be desired, but, again, maybe if you have a stronger grasp on the fantasy world, you’ll feel more invested in the non-romance plot of this one.

🌟Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!🌟

This 3rd book in the series continues to deliver the fun vibes we got in the previous books. ❤️
I really enjoyed the banter between our main characters and it was only the pacing at times that made me feel a bit bored and brought it down to a 3☆ for me.

This series is such an inspired combination of western and fantasy. Each book has its own secondary vibe. Undercutting had the most ~scientific~ vibe for me. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a lot of actual science going on, but the world building involves lots of cool portal elements and their inter-workings.

I adore a romance that focuses on multiple couples. Rosie and Adam are ADORABLE, but to be able to get a continuation of Duckers and Zeddie’s dynamic was sublime.

I’ve been in a brutal slump and I listened to this without a long break - so trust me when I say it’s a winner!

This entire trilogy has been so enjoyable to read. The world of old gods and new, magic portals, and dragons(!) has entertained me, while tugging at my heartstrings now that it is finished and is time to say goodbye. In this installment, immortal Rosie finds that the portals are failing and she is the only one that sees the problem. As she and the portal creator work together to evacuate Tanria while trying to fix the problem, she grows close to him and both characters end up revealing secrets they never meant to. There is also a few "side quests" that include Penrose's former flame and a lot of forced proximity. The pining and slow burn in this story are fantastic, as is both their abilities to be self-sacrificing and hysterically funny. The narrators did a great job reading this story with plenty of humor and heart.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam
By: Megan Bannen
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Romcom Fantasy
5/5 ⭐️
.5/5 🌶️

Megan Bannen did it again. Gosh, I love this whimsical, heartwarming world that she’s created and continued in her third book. While tying back to characters and subject matter in the previous two books, a reader *could* read this as a standalone, although I do not recommend it because you really get the charm of the world of Tanria and character backstories if you have read the previous books.

This book follows Rosie Fox, an immortal demigod Tanrian Marshall, as she and her partner Penrose Duckers become trapped in the Mist while trying to cross back through the failing portals from Tanria. But of course they would be stuck in Tanria with none other than the uptight, monotone academic/short king/creator of the portals Dr. Adam Lee (who she had an awkward run-in with 5 years prior).

If you’re looking for a heartwarming, slow burn/closed door steam, opposites attract, romcom fantasy…this is PERFECTION. I listened as an audiobook and boy, the narrator Kacie Rogers had me CHUCKLING. I do almost wish there was a dual-POV so we could flesh-out Adam’s character a smidge more, but I adored Rosie so much that it honestly didn’t matter. I cried ugly tears at the end, which was awkward because I was in the break room at work. I honestly don’t want this trilogy to be over.

Tropes, etc:
-Interconnected standalone romantasy
-Cozy, slow burn (but also insta-love?) with some steam
-Short king x muscle mommy
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Banter, hilarious FMC
-Opposites attract
-DUCKERS!!! (I love his character so much 🥹)
-Dragons
-Gods and demigods
-LGBTQ+ side characters

*Thank you Megan Bannen and NetGalley for the free Advanced Listen Copy of the audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.*

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.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam was my first experience with Megan Bannen as an author and I completely understand why people rave about this series! It seamlessly blends fantasy and magic with a refreshing take on modern-day conveniences, creating a world that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Rosie and Adam’s relationship is a slow-burn romance that evolves from reluctant acquaintances solving a problem to something far deeper and more meaningful. The chemistry between them is undeniable, with Rosie’s fiery, take-no-prisoners attitude perfectly complementing Adam’s more gentle, shy yet confident demeanor. Together, they form a pair that feels like they were meant to be, and their dynamic is one of the highlights of the book.

I was particularly drawn to Rosie’s character development, especially in her relationship with her father. Their interactions brought a depth to the story that I wasn’t expecting, and the emotional arc between them was both poignant and heartbreaking. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that it was the ultimate gift a father could give, and the way it connected to the larger narrative of the book was brilliant. Overall, the book had far more twists and turns than I anticipated, constantly surprising me and keeping the stakes high throughout. I was never quite sure where the story was going next, which made it all the more exciting to read.

The narration also enhanced the experience. Jim Frangione and Kacie Rogers did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life, capturing the unique voices and emotions of Rosie and Adam perfectly. Their pacing and delivery kept the story engaging from start to finish. The world-building, the emotional depth, and the slow-burn romance all came together in a way that made The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam a truly enjoyable read. It’s a world I’d love to live in, and I’m definitely looking forward to more from Megan Bannen, starting with going back to the beginning, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this the audio ARC!

I really liked this book. Very entertaining. I don’t know it it’s recommended to read the other books in the series first but it definitely helps. The narration was really good. Would recommend

The concept of this book was excellent. I loved the idea of this one more than the execution.

I found the story rather dull. The characters... uninspiring and the plot should have been excited but it really didn't hit the mark for me.

One thing I do know.. Sometimes audios don't translate well from the book so I say 3 stars now but reading it myself could be better.

Rosie and Adam were so good. I enjoyed their story. It was fast paced and had fun banter. I think the narrator did fantastically with this one! That ending wow!

Rosie Fox, immortal demigod, daughter of the trickster, is trapped in Tanria when the portals fail with the bespoke short king inventor Adam Lee, her partner the affable Penrose Duckers and his ex Zeddie. This series installment is much more fantasy heavy delving into Tanria lore and creation, Rosie’s daddy issues, slow burn romance with Adam, and great banter. Read the first two in the series for maximum enjoyment. Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio /Orbit for an advanced copy for a honest review.

This is the third book in the series and I recommend reading them in order. Characters in the previous books make significant appearances.

I liked the excellent world building and the many tropes reversals.

⚡️Tropes and vibes
- very slow burn
- forced proximity
- estranged dad and family dynamics
- reverse size diff
- reverse age gap (or idk, *reverse* reverse age gap)
- she falls first
- only one dragon

The undercutting of Rosie and Adam is the third in the Hart and Mercy series and let me tell you I LOVED this one! The narrators were amazing and really made this audiobook unputdownable!

This series has my heart 💓 the dynamics, the banter, the opposites attract trope all just worked together so well.

Rosie is an immortal demigod and she is over a decade old, making her patrolling Tanria a bore over the long time period.
With the breakdown of the portal, the portal’s uptight creator, Adam Lee, must come in person to repair the damage. But when all the portals break down at once, Rosie and Adam wind up trapped inside the Mist. And the reticent inventor in his bespoke menswear seems to know a lot more about what’s happening than he lets on.

Rosie and Adam’s mutual love for the best underwear is so funny! 🤣 I love the light humour mixed in with serious issues in this series.

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the ALC! Highly recommended!

*Thank you to Orbit, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for an A(R/L)C in exchange for my honest review*

Is this the end? Because I really think it is, and I'm okay with it.

But for now, we're living in Tanria with the immortal Rosie Fox. And more importantly... DUCKERS! It was clear in Book 2 that Adam and Rosie were endgame, but it took them oh so long to get there. I liked how this book was focused so much on deities and mysteries, as we track down the cause for Tanria's portal problem. It did feel like there was a little less romance than the previous installments, but I did enjoy getting more lore! The audio was great, though I may have blinked and missed the dual narration. (To be fair, this could be because of a delayed review or just having the male narrator for a small portion. Who knows?)

Ultimately, Megan Bannen sticks the landing on a delightfully cozy fantasy series.

I'd probably rate this book at a 4.5. It took a moment to get through but once you're about 40% of the way through it really picks up again. I absolutely love this world and the stories that have come from it. And even though we get a lot of Rosie and Adam - we actually get some more of Duckers and Zeddie - which is an absolute delight.

This series is amazing! I loved the time twisting in this one and Adam is so fun! Rosie and Adam are perfect for each other!

This was a good finish to an interconnect series! I am so glad we got to see Duckers and Zeddie again! Almost wish this book had been about them instead, I was just so vested in their characters! But anyways, Rosie and Adam felt a bit like instalove which isn't my thing but it worked for this story. While they clearing were longing for eachother it was still a slow burn since neither one would admit to their feels for SOOOO LONG! I liked the second half of this book the best (yes, even though Duckers and Zeddie weren't really present) so much more of the story happened here and the pacing was more my style. I loved the Briar Thief story and that we switched narrators for it! The female narrator did an excellent job with all her different character voices, made it incredibly easy to follow the story and who was talking. Overall while this one wasn't my favorite in the trilogy I still enjoyed it!

I'm a bit of a dummy here, because I requested this ALC from Netgalley after having seen the first two books all over Internet and getting intrigued by them but without actually having read them.

This story was consequently slightly puzzling at first, but overall the author did a good job of guiding a new reader like myself into their universe. The romance, the friendships and the adventures definitely made this worth it.

The story centers on Rosie, an immortal demi-god with a darkly comic habit of dying, and Adam, a scientist fixing the portals to Tanria. Stranded on the wrong side, they’re drawn into a mystery of secrets and revelations. I loved the characters, the plot, and especially how Bannen made the romance between mortal and immortal feel both believable and engaging—a clever, satisfying finale to a (presumably) equally fun series.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette for this ALC.