4 stars – 2 chili peps

This whole series has been great! We finally get the story of Rosie Fox, the 6’5” immortal demigod after hearing about her in passing for the last 2 books. This story is a little more focused on the plot and the side characters than on the main character’s romance, which definitely isn’t a bad thing since Duckers might be my favorite side character of all time! He is certainly the best marshal partner that I have ever read about.

Why I loved it!

-tall woman x short king
-opposites attract
-loud + opinionated fmc
-soft spoken + shy mmc
-age gap
-immortal demigod x mortal
-glitter breathing dragons
-willing to die for each other
-LGBTQIA+ rep
-THE BEST SIDE CHARACTERS! (looking at you Duckers and Zeddie)
-forced proximity

Possible Triggers
-death of a parent
-funeral
-parental abandonment

The love story of Rosie and Adam is incredibly sweet. This is what I would consider a slow burn romance, with a huge emphasis on the emotional connection between the 2 MC’s. There is also a large emphasis on healing past relationships in this story – both parental and past partners.

There are a lot of deep philosophical questions in this story. Is immortality worth it if you have no one to spend it with? Do you value life as much if you know that it is never going to end? Would you be willing to live without the person you love to save the world?

Rosie and Adam are the embodiment of opposites attract. Rosie is a tall drink of water. Super tall, bright copper hair, red eyed immortal with a huge personality. Adam is a ‘pocket-man’ short king, extremely reserved, very well dressed and highly cerebral. At face value they should not be together but the chemistry that they have is perfect. Tons of witty banter, deep conversations, and cute flirting.

The audiobook was great! I really enjoyed the narration. It was really well paced without all of the crazy pauses that a lot of audiobooks have ( I listened on 1.25 speed, and it was perfect). They were able to convey a lot of emotion, and she was able to really separate her characters with her voice. I will definitely listen to another audiobook that Kacie Rogers narrates. Jim Frangoine was also good, but he had a very small part in the story.

If you haven’t read this series yet I would highly recommend you put it on your TBR immediately! It’s the perfect amount of heartbreak and emotion all wrapped up in a cozy, romcom, fantasy world!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion!

4.5 stars rounded up!

Megan Bannen did it again! I absolutely adored Rosie and Adam’s story and loved revisiting our old friends and the world of Tanria. There was really nothing I didn’t enjoy about this story other than it was a little long but in this case it really worked; I don’t know that anything really could’ve been cut out or thinned. I do truly hope Megan keeps writing stories in this world because I wills definitely eat up every single one!

I am loving this story but have to pause for now because the narration is killing it for me :(
The description of Adam's voice doesn't match what I'm hearing at all, and it keeps pulling me out of the story. It's frequently described as deep baritone, and that Adam has a commanding presence, yet the voice sounds more feminine and meek. It's hardly distinguishable from Rosie's voice. I wish they had done duet narration because male voices are not this narrator's strong suit. Duckers' voice also almost sounds like he suddenly has a Southern accent?? Once again, it doesn't match what we historically know about Duckers. I'm going to have to wait for this book to release because I really do love the story but I can't finish this audio.

I loved 'The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy' and 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank', so I just knew I was going to love this too. Rosie and Adam are, as expected, an interesting couple with intriguing dynamics. At the start, I was a little surprised to see how much of a time jump we were experiencing from the last book - it had been 10 years since the end of Twyla and Frank's book. Duckers and Zeddy not being together completely threw me too, because I adore them and it felt wrong for them to not be together.

All this to say that I was completely enamoured with the whole storyline, and I would really love to see more books in this world still. Each one feels a bit like coming home at this point.

This was a fun slight Rom Com story about an immortal mortal who is just trying to get through life. I had a fun time reading this book but the ending did seem to drag on a little bit.

This is a worthy finale to one of the coziest fantasy-romance trilogies out there, and it’s honestly bittersweet to say goodbye. Bannen once again nails the blend of banter, heart, and amazing world-building. I really enjoyed Rosie and Adam’s opposites-attract dynamic, it’s layered with depth and tackles themes like mortality, grief, and the possibility of second chances. And yes, I was so happy we got to see Duckers again (iconic), along with glimpses of how the rest of the cast is doing.

While it works as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate the connections and growth. The audiobook is also fantastic!

“You are utterly, perfectly ridiculous”

I cannot explain how happy I am every time we get to go back to Tanria. This series is so much fun and it gets better with every installment. I’m actually a little sad I finished this in one sitting because I want more 🥲
I enjoyed Rosie’s story so freaking much, just like I knew I would. Her and Duckers’ partnership is pure gold. I love the dynamic, all the swearing, and the crude ways they show their affection. It’s absolutely adorable and I’ve loved Duckers since book 1.
Adam Lee is a fantastic romantic counterpart for Rosie! He’s strait laced, closed off, and quiet while’s she’s loud, reckless, and free spirited. And yet they’re both lonely in their owns ways and their coming together is so sweet but also deliciously spicy
The Tanria plotline of the series continues to fascinate me in this book as well. The portals malfunction and the mysterious shadows/vines were a really fun mystery and I was floored when the reveal came. Not super surprised but some parts of it but still riveted.
I loved the narrators! Kacie Rogers does an absolutely fantastic job with the story and characters. She gave everyone their own voice and always caught the tone of the scene. She does a stoned dikdik imitation quite well. Jim Frangione has a much smaller role in the narration but I liked his part as well. Quite simply, he has a great voice that I could listen to for much longer.
I’m not sure if we are getting more from this series but I will of course be reading it if so!

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.

The narrator (Kacie Rogers) for this audiobook did such a good job - she had all the accents down and it was so easy to keep all the characters separate and know who was talking just based on her version of their voices. She had the perfect amount of emotion in her reading and her tone was impeccable.

Thank you to Hachette Audio 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.

I adored Rosie’s character in this installment and appreciate that Bannen once again brought humor to this series. I think it adds another layer of complexity to the overall cozy fantasy reads. I also loved getting more dragon and glitter shenanigans even at a smaller scale than the previous book. Additionally, I appreciated the interesting dynamic Bannen created between Rosie and Adam, although, I’m not a huge fan of insta love stories. Seeing them work together to fix the portal issue helped with the instalove happening between the two characters. In addition to the Rosie and Adam dynamic, we’re treated to a second romantic dynamic between poor Duckers who always seems to get wrapped up in whatever is going sideways in Tanria and his ex Zeddie. I read this via audiobook which was a huge highlight for this book. It was primarily narrated by Kacie Rogers who absolutely nailed Rosie’s character. Rogers seemed to perfect what made Rosie, Rosie, making it easy to get lost in the story. I also appreciate the addition of Jim Frangione for Adam’s sole POV chapter. It easily differentiated that chapter from Rosie’s chapters. Overall, this was a solid trilogy conclusion, and I would recommend this series as a whole for how well written it is.

3.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the audiobook ARC! 💜

As with the previous two books in the series, my favorite thing about The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam was the world. I think Megan Bannen does a really good job of creating a fantasy world that feels well developed and interesting, and balancing cozy vibes with some light macabre elements. And in each book we get more of the world revealed which is great. I'd love to see more books set in this world!

I enjoyed the humor and fun writing style, and I think the audiobook narrator did a really great job with it.

Also loved the cat, needed more cat scenes.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the romance or the main characters in this book as much as the first book, Hart and Mercy remain my favorites. Rosie and Adam's relationship felt a bit instalove. The book, as with the other two, does a good job of having a plot that is not 100% about the romance, so while I didn't find their dynamic very interesting it didn't overwhelm the rest of the story too much. One thing that bugged me a little was the ending, it felt like the stakes were supposed to be high but at the same time you know what the ending is going to be so at least for me it felt a bit anticlimactic. And I do think it's a bit criminal that one of the background couples continues to be background for 3 books rather than actually having the book focus on them.

Reading this "The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam" was bittersweet experience. The book was so good, but we have to say goodbye to Tanria. 
The characters were so well written and lovable. I laughed and I cried. It was everything I wanted.
If you like cozy fantasy and found family you found the right book.
Kacie Rogers and Jim Frangione did amazing job.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the early audiobook.

The following review was posted to Goodreads on June 30, 2025:

“4 ⭐️

I was beyond excited to listen to this audiobook upon its projected release next month, so I feel beyond lucky and grateful to have been given the opportunity to listen to this before its release. I fell in love with the author’s (Megan Bannen) writing style in The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy and this third book in the series absolutely did not disappoint.

Bannen’s playful and witty writing style had me giggling throughout the book and it is just so easy to read/listen to. It’s set in the same world as the other two books in the series but the continued world-building isn’t overcomplicated or difficult to follow. Rosie is a character we’ve met in the previous books as well so I loved getting to learn more about her and for her to have her chance at love and the life she truly wanted. I also LOVED the continuation and satisfying conclusion of Penn’s story. I didn’t feel like I emotionally connected as much to Rosie and Adam as I did with Hart and Mercy but not for lack of great character development. There were also fabulous twists that I did not anticipate and the plot of this book was so unique and fun. There’s lots of mystery, complicated relational (family and romantic) dynamics, forced proximity, ghostly flora, a haunting history with an unknown future… oh, and a whole bunch of meddling Gods.

This book leans character & plot forward, with a couple sweet romances woven in. It was light-er on spice, in my opinion, as well with only a couple slightly graphic scenes making it a 1 🌶️ on my spicy scale. When I began to listen to this audiobook, I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be the end of the series, but the way this book ended was the most beautiful and satisfying way to complete the series. I enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Megan Bannen for the opportunity to listen to this ARC of The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam.”

This review can also be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7684021653

I adored this book! As a fan of the series already, this was definitely an anticipated read/listen and it did not disappoint. I will say that I didn’t love the narrator’s portrayal of Adam at times - it felt very one dimensional, and that made it hard for me to connect emotionally to his character. I do understand that, at the beginning of the book, he is supposed to be stoic and stony but that same stoicism continued past where he began to open up to Rosie and his friends. That’s really my only critique. I think the book itself was the perfect conclusion to this trilogy with a beautiful expansion of this fantasy world (and its deities) and I absolutely loved it. I also loved that Penn got his happy ending! That was one of my biggest points of frustration with the last book - that he was alone and it felt so unfinished and irritating. Now, for him to also have his happy ending makes my heart so full! Thank you again to both Netgalley and Megan Bannen for allowing me to listen to and review this ARC!

I knew I would devour this book in less than 24 hours. Megan Bannen has that effect on me, and I am not even sorry for staying home all day yesterday on a rare sunny day in the Netherlands just to go through this story.

This is the kind of book that wraps you in a cozy blanket of sharp banter, slow-burning tension, and just enough mystery to keep you page-turning like a maniac. It’s romantic without being romance-forward, fantasy without feeling too far removed from the world we know. It’s modern magic, and it works beautifully.

Immortal demigod Rosie Fox has been patrolling Tanria for decades, but after one hundred and fifty-seven years of being alive, everything is starting to lose its shine.
When she dies (again) by electrocution (again) while poking around a portal only she can see, it’s the beginning of something different. Something bigger. Something she was absolutely not prepared for.

Enter Dr. Adam Lee. Portal genius. Uptight scientist. Tall, dark, and brooding in bespoke menswear. Thanks to Rosie’s interference, Adam is forced to come repair the portal himself — but when things spiral and all the portals start failing, an emergency evacuation is declared. Rosie and Adam end up trapped in the Mist. Together.

And Adam knows a lot more than he’s letting on.

What follows is a truly unexpected journey. One part romantic tension, one part cozy fantasy, one part emotional unraveling. I loved that this story was unpredictable. Yes, we know where it’s going, this is opposites attract, after all, but the way it unfolds is quiet, tender, and had me grinning like an idiot.

I received the ALC and I have to say, the narration was fantastic. Great pacing, memorable voices, and perfect tone for the story. I’m very glad I got to experience it this way.

This was my third book by Megan Bannen and it confirmed once again that her writing is my comfort zone. If you’re looking for a book that blends fantasy with quiet romance and a touch of melancholy magic, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam will stick with you.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and Megan Bannen for sending me the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness, but this was such a fun listen! I didn't realize it was Book 3 in a series until I received it - which was frustrating, as I couldn't get the audio versions of the first two books from my library without several months hold. I received the physical books and tried to read those, but was oddly surprised to find that I struggled to connect to the writing whereas I fell completely head-over-heels in love with the audio version of the later book...

So I decided to do something I NEVER do, and go out of order (gasp, shudder).

I am pleased to report that this worked out fine, and I never felt confused or lost or like I was missing something essential to the enjoyment of this book. I do realize that there's a lot of backstory that I missed, and have the earlier two books on audio hold to catch up, but don't be deterred if you find yourself with these out of order. True, you'll know a few things out of sequence, but they're cozies and it's no great surprise that things work out in the end - knowing that doesn't make the ride any less enjoyable, trust me.

Bannen's Tanria is magical and her characters are marvelous. She has a knack for snarky dialogue and quirky characters that you can't help but fall in love with - even if you, like me, aren't typically a romance reader. The world-building is excellent and even without the background that I'm sure the earlier books provide, I felt wholly immersed in her world from the opening pages with nary a moment of wondering what was going on or what something/someone meant. This was a delightful series and a wonderful find and I'm so eager for the other two books!

✨ ALC Review ✨

I would say we first fell in love with the world @meganbannen created with Tanria and its inhabitants, but boy howdy, did we fall in love with these couples! 😍 Hart & Mercy are outstanding and I’ll never forget their epistolary love story. Frank & Twyla are about my age in their book and I get them on a soul-deep level. Now we have Rosie & Adam. I’ve swooned so hard for Rosie, the 6 1/2 foot immortal demigod with garnet eyes and a predilection for quality undergarments.

Rosie is also a Tanrian marshal, protecting the residents of Bushong. Her partner is a firecracker named Duckers and if you don’t love him, you have no soul.

Because of her demigod existence, she can’t stay dead, but she has died a number of times including at the beginning of this book. Something is wrong with the portals allowing people to move between Bushong and Tanria. When the inventor of the portals, Dr. Adam Lee, comes to repair them, he orders an evacuation, but he and Rosie get stuck inside Tanria. And maybe he knows more about what’s going on with the portals than he’s letting on. And maybe he’s just as fascinated with Rosie as she is with him.

You really do have to have read the first two books before diving into this one. The world that’s built here is mesmerizing- somehow cozy while also being dangerous. And drily funny. So smart and utterly delightful.

This was perfectly narrated by #kacierogers (who also narrated one of my favorite books of last year, Sex, Lies, and Sensibility by @nikkipaynebooks, so you should listen to that too). Kacie brought the perfect tone for our sassy demigod, the gravitas of Adam Lee, and the absolute unseriousness of Duckers.

Highly recommended for lovers of fantastic world building, short kings, and La Perla!

I received this ALC via #netgalley and @hachetteaudio. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romancebooks #fantasybooks #fantasyromance #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #audiobooks #theundercuttingofrosieandadam #meganbannen #aicouldnever

Megan Bannen does it again and the narrator did an amazing job of bringing the world to life. I immersion read this book with the e-arc and audio arc. I am a big Megan Bannen fan and this story did not disappoint. I love that each story is in the same world, but with different characters and different problems. I have actually already pre-ordered the book and plan to meet Megan Bannen for a signing next weekend. I am very excited for this release and I recommend her books to anyone who needs cozy fantasy rom-coms that are witty and funny but not cheesy. Well done Ms. Bannen!

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.

I thought the narration was very good, and I enjoyed the additional narrator for the section of myths.

I absolutely adored the first two books in this series, so when I obtained an ALC for the third installment, I screamed. I knew that I would adore Megan’s writing, and I was so happy to see the return of some of my favorite characters. In this installment we are treated to much more world building and lore, which I didn’t feel was lacking in the previous entries, so it simply built upon the already solid foundation. This entry felt a lot more like a cozy mystery than anything else, and it is by far the coziest of the three. The pacing is slow, but it is consistent and fits the overall plot and character development well.

Rosie is a confident, independent, loyal and strong FMC with a heart of gold, and Adam is the rock she always needed in her life. I absolutely love this relationship dynamic, and mixed with forced proximity, it was truly the most perfect combination. The romance itself is very slow burn, and there is hardly any spice, which was a change from the previous two in the series, but not really missed by me personally. The side characters are loveable, hilarious, engaging and fun - I only wish we were getting a Duckers and Zettie book (I think I wished this when reading the last book too). They are so perfect, and definitely deserve their own book!
Overall, if you enjoyed the previous books in the series, I have no doubt that you’re going to love this one. If you haven’t had the chance to read the others and you enjoy slow burn fantasy romance with beautiful world building and hilarious banter - please add them to your TBR!

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for this ALC!

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.