I really enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I was super excited to receive an eARC of The Undermining of Twyla and Frank (thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK/Orbit!).

First off, I adore Megan Bannen’s writing. It’s engaging and witty, and her characters have such fantastic banter. The world she has created is wacky and wonderful, and I had so much fun reading this book.

The two main characters are Twyla and Frank, who are best friends in their 50’s that live next door to each other and also work together as Tanrian marshals. I adored their genuine friendship, and the way it turned into something more felt organic. I am not in my 50’s, but I could still relate to the characters and their struggles, and it was so refreshing to read about a couple who aren’t in their 20’s for a change.

There’s a real mix of side characters, all of whom I really enjoyed. I particularly loved Druckers, who I hope gets own book soon!

The plot was fantastic, and just the right mix of coziness and adventure. There’s dragons, meddling family members, a mystery, and a dangerous conspiracy. I was completely hooked and not bored for a second.

Everything was wrapped up in such a satisfying way, and the ending felt so right for the characters. I can’t wait to read the next instalment in this series when it releases next year!

🌟🌟🌟

It has:

💖Friends to Lovers
🐉Glittery Dragons
🌇Unique World
❤️‍🩹Widowed FMC
🤼Middle Aged Characters
✨Cozy Romantasy

I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book. After reading the undertaking of Hart and Mercy, I fell in love with the story and characters and I knew I would be so excited for the next book.

-

As much as I enjoyed this one, I just feel it was lacking. It took me at least 40% of the way to actually get into the story and even then, I found it to be very repetitive and a bit boring.

However, I did enjoy the premise of this book. Who can say no to reading about glittery dragons (that should be a myth) and reading the mystery as to why they are suddenly showing up.

The single POV was good, but I feel Frank should've had some chapters in his perspective, especially as the book is about the both of them.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn't my favourite but that might change with a re-read later on.

»The Undermining of Twyla and Frank« had everything I could possibly want in a book:
- friends to lovers romance
- fantasy
- a bit of a mystery
- baby dragons

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I already loved »The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy« and it was so nice to be back in this world and go on a new adventure.
The story had me hooked right from the beginning and while there is a bit of a mystery this is more on the cozy side of fantasy without being too cozy or boring which I really enjoyed. It just was a really good mix of a lot of different things that I love separately but even more though combined into one story. 🫶🏻

I read the previous book in the series while not knowing that this was to be a series. I even noted in that review that it was a standalone.

When I saw this book, I immediately realised which world it belonged to solely because of the cover art style, even the title draws your attention.

I would not recommend reading this book without having read the previous. This is not because the romance at the heart of this book wouldn’t make sense, but the overall world is a little unique and all the events that happened in the previous one led up to the current status quo in the book. People are generally bored with the lack of danger and new things are starting to happen.

There are two parts which sort of align but are parallel stories. One is of the personal lives of Frank and Twyla, your older than average protagonists. The other is of glittery excrement and what comes with it. It is an oddball story that doesn’t take itself seriously while addressing some key discrimination amongst genders in the world.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a refreshing change, I even hoped a certain plot point might not happen, but when it did I wasn’t annoyed since it was well done.

I would highly recommend this book/ series to people looking for a different kind of fantasy read.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the previous book.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is set in the same world as The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, which wowed me last year, and is a fantasy romance in the same vein.

And, yes, we do bump into Mercy Birdsall and Hart Ralston and their circle again here, although they're not the main characters in this book. That would be Twyla Banneker and Frank Ellis. They are partners, Tanrian Marshals employed to police that strange space, once a prison for gods, that opens from the island of Bushong, part of the Federated Islands of Cadmus. Now, after the events of The Undertaking of Hope and Mercy, the drudges (zombies) that threatened Bushing from Tanria are gone, and some are questioning the need for the Marshals. But there are other threats in Tanria, and assets there to be guarded, as Twyla and Frank are about to find out.

I loved this book. The comfortable relationship between middle-aged Twyla and Frank - work, but not life, partners - is realistic and well portrayed, their lives to this point sensitively sketched with all their pluses and minuses. A failed marriage. A dead spouse. New lives rebuilt, the best made of things. Children to nurture and see over the threshold of adulthood. The backgrounding of hopes and dreams in the face of practical concerns - money, health, family. As a result we have two beautifully drawn and largely content characters...

...who are about to have their cosy world turned upside down in a blaze of conspiracy, murder - and dragons.

It was both moving, and hilarious, to see how Twyla and Frank cope with the various eruptions into their lives that follow from what's brewing in Tanria. These are both large and small. There's the fact of a totally unexpected and previously mythological species of creature. There's crime. There are new colleagues - in this case a dangerously sexy scientist who upsets what turns out to have been a carefully balanced relationship that only survived by not asking certain questions, not thinking certain things. But, it seems that relationship rest on certain assumptions, and once these are challenged it's clear that for Twyla and Frank, nothing will ever be the same again.

Oh, and just who's trying to blow the pair up?

In some ways, Twyla and Frank have very ordinary lives. In some ways, they are very extraordinary people. But once the balance of the ordinary is upset, will they ever find it again? Will they even want to?

STRONGLY recommended.

Yes. This was great read. I heard so many great things about the first novel and was so happy to receive this one to start the series. And dragons are my favorite mystical creature. This world and it's unique romance stories are some of my favorite romantasy books. I cannot wait for the next one

I was so excited to get an eARC of The Undermining of Twyla and Frank because I adore The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (it’s a favourite comfort read of mine). It is / has:
• Main characters in their 50s
• F/M fantasy romance
• Friends to lovers
• Love after loss (FMC) / divorce (MMC)
• Dragons… but not as you expect

There’s a lot to like in this next book:
- Retaining the unique fantasy world that is a mix of zany and charming, and again we have a story that is funny but also tender.
- Where this story really succeeds is in showing a woman in her 50s taking centre stage. Twyla is post-menopausal, a mother, grandmother, widow; she is independent and determining her own path. However, some societal and personal pressures remain. I liked seeing this explored, her character develop, make mistakes, learn and get romance.
- Naturally I love Frank! Just as it was great to have a middle age FMC, it was equally welcome to have a middle age MMC and love interest.
- Some of the side character we’ve met before really shine, especially Duckers, who was hilarious.
However…
- There was love triangle within the romance plot which I was less keen.
- The book did feel quite long at times.

Overall, the book was a fun read that I’d recommend.

The slow burn to end all slow burns.
I've never been screaming so hard for two characters to finally look up and see each other as I did for Twyla and Frank. A fantastic sequel to an endlessly intriguing and magical world. Constantly thrilling, despite two characters who couldn't think themselves any less plain. The love story burned slow but so soft and bright and beautiful. Twyla and Frank are two extremely strong and confident characters, whose only weaknesses are their stubbornness and pride, and I loved every second of them circling each other. Throw in a baby dragon, a conspiracy putting them all at risk, and meddling family members, this is the perfect recipe for a book.

I fell in love with the unique, creative and whimsical world that Megan created when reading The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the second book in this series!

And it absolutely delivered mixing my favourite parts from the previous book -

talking animals (the cutest, clumsy hedgehog with a side I did not see coming), my baby DUCKERS (Megan, I think it’s time the boy gets his own book), glimpses of Hart and Mercy (I’m glad to see that Hart is still grumpy, but a lover boy for Mercy),

With DRAGONS! Pink dragons, baby dragons, dragons spitting glitter. Yes, Tanria has dragons after all!

But also with the sweetest romance between two middle-aged best friends - Twyla and Frank.

Being a person in my twenties, with no children, I was a little bit worried that I won’t be able to connect with the book, and with both FMC and MMC because of their age (50+) and life situations, but I was happy to give it a go. After all, how many romantasy books with main characters being in their 50s do you come across? Not a lot.

I was surprised by how heart-warming I found their mom-ness and dad-ness, and how that helped with the Tanria’s classified situation, as well as how wholesome that made the relationship between Twyla, Frank and Duckers.

Maybe I couldn’t relate to some of Twyla’s struggles as a mother and a person, but I could really understand them due to the society expectations of women, and I really appreciated them mentioned in this book.

Wholesome, cozy & whimsical romantasy with a sprinkle of spice and glitter.

I really enjoyed it & would highly recommend it. :)

Thank you NetGalley, author and pulisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are honest & my own.

Book Review:
Title: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank
Author: Megan Bannen
Rating: 4/5

In her book, "The Undermining of Twyla and Frank," Megan Bannen presents a lighthearted and engaging story that beautifully portrays the growth of Twyla and Frank's relationship. The setting of Tanrian adds an element of surprise to the narrative, and I am eagerly anticipating what surprises book 3 may hold. Furthermore, the glimpse into the lives of Duckers, Mercy, and Hart was a delight to experience. Overall, Bannen's storytelling captivates the reader and leaves them eager for more.

I am grateful to @meganbannen and @netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this advance copy. I eager to receive my physical copy from @fairyloot

#meganbannen #theunderminingoftwylaandfrank #tanrıan #penroseduckers #dragons #dragoneggs #friendstolovers #book2 #bookstgram #threads #netgalley #arcbooks

I really enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy so was super excited to recieve a copy of the next book set in that world. First of all can we just take a moment to appreciate older main characters? Our MCs are in their 50s and I love it so much. I'm so used to reading about younger characters so it's honestly a breath of fresh air when I get to read about characters who have lived a portion of their lives, made mistakes and learnt from them.

I immediately loved Twyla and Frank. Their friendship is so precious and I just loved their banter and the way they were with each other. I loved the journey both of them went on in this book, especially Twyla who starts putting herself out there more. Frank was honestly just the absolutely sweetest and he treated Twyla had me swooning!

I loved the premise of this one and absolutely loved the dragons! I also really enjoyed the twists in this one as I didn't see any of them coming! This is a fantastic friends to lovers, slow burn romance that I found gripping and at times incredibly emotional! I really recommend picking this series up if you love fantasy romance!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was wonderful, cozy, beautiful, funny and fantastic.
The way it deals with maturity, children, grandchildren, bodily and emotional changes as you get older is fantastic. The development of the characters and how the problems make them mature and move forward while worrying about something as whimsical as dragons, is the right mix of cozy and adventurous.
The communication between the main characters is exceptional and the world-building is incredible.
I adored the book and the characters, it's the perfect mix between cute and cozy and adventures and fantasy.
Recommended for people who want something fun, cozy but with a bit of mystery and fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the best books have dragons in them; and this book does not disappoint! I really enjoyed our main characters and their later in life journey they went on together. A fun, whimsical fantasy which is truly enjoyable to read.

cience fiction fantasy cowboy friends to lovers middle age romance with disco dragons.

Excellent mix of themes to return us to the world of Eternity and Tanria and the Tanrian Marshals.

We follow the exploits of Twyla and Frank, friends, neighbours, and Marshals as they patrol Tanria without the endless hordes of the undead to bother them.

Instead though they have dragons, and more difficult than dragons, family conflict, though these are some of my favourite dragons ever.

I’m not a big fan of steamy spice, specially when it doesn’t really progress the story, and even more so when it makes no sense and stands out like a sore thumb and hinders the character development.

You will be pleased to know that this has such a spicy sex scene between two grown adults I had to stop reading it on public transport!!! But this is also a wonderful scene where we get to know more about both the characters involved and is pivotal to later scenes in the book. A massive well done to Megan for making it all so believable.

Full of fun, found family, friendship, and packed full of humour I really enjoyed this and found it nice to read about people close to my age would heartily recommend.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved Megan Bannen's previous work I was delighted to dive headfirst into The Undermining of Twyla and Frank - my expectations were arguably set dangerously high especially given that this book also promised dragons!
I would say that this story delivers exactly what it says it is going to. When Harry met Sally but with dragons is precisely what this book is and it does not skimp on the friends-to-lovers trope. Alongside that lovely romance, there is also the plot which, while it definitely comes secondary to the romance, is still remarkably intriguing and helps the book feel like it has even more substance.
I definitely appreciated the representation of an older couple in a market somewhat saturated with young lovers, I liked that Bannen didn't shy away from the spicier scenes just because this couple were more rich in years. I would say if you've enjoyed T Kingfisher's romance in the past, as many have, this would be a great book to pick up.
Finally I will say that while you do not need to read the first book in this universe to understand the plot, you will be spoiled for book one slightly so I would recommend reading them in order if you have not already read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy.
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved, loved this book from start to finish .......... it was so unusual for the main characters to be
middle aged , for them to have a later in life sexual attraction and be able to carry out acts of heroism despite their age ,
but also able to put the greater good first ,
The story is full of twists and turns, discovery of a special species and a friends to romance HEA but
can they survive the adventures to come ........... a real page turner . Romantic suspense and whimsy at its very best !


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

2.5 stars

A whimsical and cosy fantasy romance with dragons and glitter

It took me a while to get into The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but once I did, I loved it. This one also took me a long time to get into, but it didn't deliver like the first book, which was quite dark in places. Other early readers loved this, but for me, it shoulda been called the underwhelming of Twyla and Frank...😂

Things I liked:
🎉The characters were older! It was refreshing to read a romance featuring characters in their 50's.
🎉I like this wacky and unique world.
🎉The discussion on marriage and motherhood.
🎉Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, and the two of them had a great friendship.

Having said that, this book was so long and boring in parts, yes a book about dragons was boring, and also very silly at times...
Twyla's single pov got old fast, and Frank didn't always feel like a fully fleshed out character, dual pov would've worked better for me.

Then there was the ridiculous plot and villain reveal and the motivation behind it..it felt cartoonish, and it just wasn't it.

My other main gripe was the love triangle. I hate it when a character dates someone who is not the main love interest for a chunk of the story, and it didn't help that I strongly disliked the guy...

So yeah, this was cosy and fun in parts, but I feel like the magic of book one was missing. This was definitely a little too quirky for me!

3 Stars
One Liner: Sadly, underwhelming

No one expected a middle-aged and widowed Twyla Banneker to become a marshal. But Frank Ellis, her friend and workplace partner, helped her find the footing she needed to survive. Eight years later, they have settled into a rhythm at the job. The land of Tarnia is less dangerous and safer, which doesn’t bode well for their job but gives them some relief.
However, things start to spiral out of control when they find a dead body. Soon, Frank becomes a foster parent for a baby dragon! There’s something sinister going on, and the Marshalls have to solve the case. Life gets harder when Twyla realizes Frank could be much more than a best friend.
The story comes in Twyla’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
So, I admit I pretty much forgot the previous book and remember only vague stuff about some letters. Thankfully, I could recollect a few more details as I read this one (not a lot but enough to follow the story and visualize the setting).
I like that the lead characters share a great friendship. This is hard to write without making the whole thing sound off in a friends-to-lovers romance. However, the transition isn’t smooth. It comes a bit too late and is a bumpy ride (much like the battered ducks used in the book).
I also like that the couple are older and in their 50s. This should make them more mature, right? Not always! Still, it’s good to read books with different age groups.
Why do we get only a single POV in this one? The book (desperately) needs Frank’s POV. Instead, we have Twyla going on and on for 400+ pages, which gets repetitive (annoying and boring). I understand Twyla’s situation. I truly do. But she needs to be more than someone who goes on a rant whenever possible. Moreover, the lack of Frank’s POV means we are stuck with being in the FMC’s head throughout.
The book has dragons but the cutesy type. They release glitter (and not fire). This is actually cool. However, the dragons are underutilized in the plot. There’s so much to do with them (observing how they eat, swim, and poop is not enough!) but except for a little in the climax, the rest doesn’t explore their potential. The baby dragon is adorable, though!
The book is a drama. There is supposed to be a mystery but forget about it if you want to enjoy this one. Mystery is used as a plot device for more drama (angst once, humor next). The reveal made me laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing. I think that’s what the author was aiming for. If not, well… *shrug*
At least there’s an epilogue, so bonus points for that. No denying that the book tackles some important themes about marriage and motherhood. But, TBH, don’t hit the readers on the head with it. We understand soon.
There are quite a few F-bombs scattered in the book. Some might find it excessive. I ignored them mostly. Duckers is fun when he is not being too goofy. His love track has some developments, so we are likely to get more details in book three.
The pacing is a bit uneven due to the repetition. Trimming down the content to 330 pages and then adding Frank’s POVs for some 20 pages would make this a great read and feel more like romance.

To summarize, The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is a decent read but ends up underwhelming when it could have been a lot better. Read this as women’s fiction with a wee bit of mystery and a touch of romance.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK (Orbit), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Thank you to Megan Bannen, Netgalley and publisher for providing me with an digital arc to read and review!

About:
The second book in the series expands upon the world we were introduced too in the first book. We now follow two Tanrian Marshals: Twyla Banneker, a widowed middle-aged woman, and her partner and best friend, Frank Ellis. The duo stumbles upon a glitter-covered corpse near a dragon-sized footprint, leading them to require the help of Dr. Quill Vanderlinden, a charming scientist intrigued by both Twyla and the dragons they’re investigating...

My thoughts:
Megan Bannen’s writing is so witty and engaging, she creates the perfect blend of humor and suspense! Twyla and Frank’s dynamic forms the heart of the story, with Twyla serving as a relatable protagonist juggling her roles as both a mother and a marshal. Frank is the quintessential best friend—loyal, supportive, and occasionally hilariously grumpy. I'm in love with the characters, particularly Twyla, a middle-aged heroine proving that adventure and self-discovery know no age limits!

I loved this book more than the first one, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves mystery, fantasy, and humor with heartwarming and lovable characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank' by Megan Bannen.

Honestly, I preferred this book over book 1. 'The Undermining of Twyla and Frank' features an older cast of characters but they are written in a way you can relate to them no matter your age. This story is a fun lighthearted read featuring dragons!!