Just like book 1 this one transported me into a world full of laughs and I really enjoyed the ride. Twyla and Frank were such an amazing couple to follow and I LOVED that we got to see a couple that is older and has more experience. I had all the feelings with this book and loved getting to explore this world again!

What an old school, cops and robbers, goodies and baddies, heroes and villains, fantasy adventure romcom! It’s part Romancing the Stone and part The Ole' West but set in the completely made-up world of Tanria.

Author Megan extends the universe she devised in ‘The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy’ with a growing romance between neighbours, old friends (and work colleagues) Twyla and Frank. The action keeps rolling, with drama piling up while at the same time the most tender awakening occurs between Twyla and Frank. Essentially a slow burn, there’s steam 🌶 and pragmatism. Best character names ever - from Duckers to Mary Georgina, it’s so much fun!

There’s mateship, rideable seahorses, the discovery of dragons and pink poop. It’s funny and wry and fast paced and clever, and while that's all going on Twyla and Frank are pining for each other - from oblivion to awareness to smitten in a way that feels so satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Bannen and Little, Brown Group for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I loved the dynamic between Twyla and Frank. It is so refreshing to read about two characters later in their lives, that have lived full lives and still find romance with each other.
I didn't know where this one would take us since the previous one resolved all of the current problems that this world faced but the inclusion of dragons really engaged me. The way the dragon attached itself to the characters and the characters to the dragons.
The writing is continuously engaging, the story flows well and I found myself unable to put it down. It's funny and romantic and serious and fun. the characters are fully developed and I love them.

I love this whimsical world so much, it's urban fantasy, it's western and it's marvelous. I wondered what the plot would be now there are no longer any zombies. I won't say anything else but it's another mysterious crime solving scenario with a new couple who have been partners for a long time.

The friends to lovers romance of these two whose lives are so intertwined; they're neighbors, they're work partners and their families have been intermingled since infancy, they have so much more to lose to make that leap outside of friendship. It was angsty and sweet, the hero is pure sugar.

We're in the heroine's head for this one and I resonate with her struggles of the changing female body and motherhood. It hit very close to home and bless her for navigating all that on top of the craziness that's happening in Tanria.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the review copy and this is my honest review.

4.5 stars

Headlines:
Cosy, whimsical & sweet
Dragons
Mid-life couple

I loved this book so much and it was such a strong follow-up in the world of Hart & Mercy. My love for this tale started with the friendship of Twyla and Frank and the slow sizzle to more. These two were in their 50s, had supported one another through the loss of their spouses and parenting challenges. The friends to more-element was frought with risk to that priceless friendship.

Twyla in particular ended up on a journey of self-discovery, she reflected on a life of being used and did not want that for her future. Frank was everything lovely, good guy, good friend, equal partner and no saviour tendencies.

The plot was a whimiscal delight, less zombie than book one and the dragons that took their place were just everything. I loved Mary Georgina, what a story that all turned out to be...
The foreshadowing about the villain of the piece was there early but I only caught it just before the reveal and that was a pretty hilarious twist.

I do hope Megan Bannen continues to write in this world, the stories she creates just work so well for me.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so I love Frank and Twyla with my whole heart and you can wrench them from my fingers as hard as you want but I’m not letting them go. What do you mean I get to read this adorable heartfelt story about these two people and then just have to carry on with my life afterwards?

I truly believe having Frank and Twyla be older than your typical fantasy romance characters adds to the charm all the more. They have experience, they’ve been through heartbreak and loss and know what it means to love unconditionally. They have a decades long friendship they’re scared to fuck up. It all comes together in such a wonderful way.

And of course the wonderful world Bannen has made just makes this story all the better. The sprinkling of characters from The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy adds to the charm. Getting the wedding scene? I was in bits, it’s so lovely to get another tale from this fantastical world.

I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously too, it’s a bit stupid and silly but the characters almost acknowledge the fantastical-ness of the world and honestly, it’s all the better for it.
I went into this story apprehensively, not knowing what to expect from another story set in Eternity, but I am pleased to say I was beyond pleasantly surprised by not only the story, but these two amazing characters I got to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored this world in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, and I'm so glad Megan Bannen returned to Tanria a second time to deliver this tale. Twyla and Frank - both now in their early fifties - have been neighbours and Tanrian marshalls together for a very long time. I instantly enjoyed the approach to this book. With the characters being mature in age compared to most fantasy characters, there were new elements of character development or storyline to enjoy and it was a breath of fresh air. The pacing of this book matched well with the slow navigation Twyla, the main protagonist, shares throughout. I felt the slow pacing to be intentional to match her low-stakes sort of way of being, and very cleverly done.

Once again, the world of Tanria feels like a complete fever dream, and for those not used to it, it definitely might throw you off. This world is so far-fetched, and this time around has glitter-pooping pink dragons in it. So if you're not prepared for the whimsy nature of this book, I'm not sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. It even took me a moment to adjust back to Tanria, but the characters were so well-developed that I was soon invested and chuckling away. A great addition to the main lineup of this read is the return of Duckers ("fuck yeah!"), who helped ground some of the wackier sides of this read and livened the mood when both Frank and Twyla were stuck inside their heads. This trio were a formidable force from start to finish, and I appreciated the author's decision to bring Duckers back and incorporate some of his own romantic struggles whilst Twyla progressed through her own.

I did enjoy the storyline around discovery - of new dragon life with a side character being brought in to give knowledge (and tension), for Twyla as a mother and what her boundaries are or need to be, romantic discovery after years of being a mother or simply "too old", and what makes a family or community. This book was really wholesome, as the first one was, and I enjoyed the journey.

That being said, it's not like Hart and Mercy, where there was dual POV, and this is my biggest critique. I would have loved to have Frank's POV at times, even though this man is honest to a fault, and so obviously in love with Twyla. But I think when Twyla gets to the point in this story where her inner dialogue gets exasperating over the romantic element, this could have been diffused some if we had that second viewpoint with Frank. My only other critique was the subplot with the mystery mining and villainous acts weren't developed enough for it to have the impact that Bannen may have been opting for. It was just alright, and I did guess who was behind it, yet I found it all a little lacklustre.

Returning to Tanria was timed well with me being ill and drawing me away from the realities of life with this hilarious and wholesome read, and left me smiling a great deal. It's not going to be everyone's type of read, but I really appreciated this sequel and would love to return to this world again in the future.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is the second book in the series but you can read this book as a standalone too. Twyla and Frank were briefly introduced in the first book, and I was surprised at how much I ended up liking them. Frank and Twyla are both in their fifties and they try to navigate their life and their friendship. This book is so much fun with a lovely friendship, second chance romance, nimkilims, and dragons. By the way, the dragons are pink and glittery. I love this world and its characters, and I hope there's more to come. I highly recommend it. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy.

Older couple, friends to lovers, and glitter spitting dragons? Sign me in! The MMC has acne scars? I’m not sure my heart can take all this normalcy! Megan Bannen, are you telling me that real people can find love as well??

The undertaking of Hart and Mercy is one of my favorite fantasy romances and I was ecstatic to be back to Eternity and Tarnia. Hart and Mercy remain my favorite couple, and I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that seeing them get married was my favorite part of this book. However, Twy and Frank are beautiful characters and I loved every single minute I spent getting to know them.

I loved to see Twy navigating through her life and job, overcoming her fears in love and relationships.

Frank is everything that is good in the world. He has such tenderness in him, I just wish he had more voice in the story and more time to show his steady and quiet love.

I’ll be anxiously waiting for more books in this world.

<i>I would like to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.</I>

I wanted to really enjoy this book because I was a massive fan of the undertaking of hart and mercy, but it just didn’t resonate with me. I think this is a “me” problem rather than the books issue.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank
Release date 2nd July
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ CAWPILE 9

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book I loved the undertaking of hart and mercy and when this came up it was an instant yes. This was just what I needed as I have been a bit slumpy this month. This had banter, dragons [ yes dragons] the idea that you are never too old to find your person it filled my heart with a huge hug. I loved the two main characters even if I wanted to bang their heads together saying you love each other fools. If you need an easy read that you can just get swept in the world this book is for you cannot wait to discuss this with all the people who loved the first one, thank you for the opportunity for reviewing this book.

I'm not a fan of the friend to lovers trope but if there's an author who could make me like it, it's definitely Megan Bannen!

I really liked it, I quickly became fond of the characters and found everything very engaging!
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy remains my favorite but I have to say that the books set in this world are all turning out to be very good!

I can't wait to read anything else by this author!

A wonderful fun book.
This book was great, a very sweet love story between two mature adults. The explorations of what romance looks like at a more mature age was handled extremely well. The dragons and intrigue add to the entertainment. The villain was hilarious!
The only reason this was not quite a 5 star for me was because the themes were not as hard-hitting for me.

Thank you to NetGalley UK and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review.
It's a wholehearted 5 ⭐ from me.
When I read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy last year, I was bewitched body and soul. When I saw that MB had written another book in its universe? I let out a truly unholy shriek. I went into this book knowing that I would love it, but surely not as much as the first book because that had absolutely floored me. And yet, here I am, down on the floor, bewitched once more.
As I was with Hart & Mercy, I am in awe of the world-building of this completely unique fantasy world. Every detail is intricate and thought-provoking and completely captivating! Full of its sea metaphors and its own belief system - so poetic that these musings brought me to tears on too many occasions between the two books - the furry little creatures that deliver the post and now??? DRAGONS! Cute, fluffy dragons. Hats off, because I have never known a fantasy world more beautifully built than this one I would actually like to live there.
Now, Twyla and Frank. What did they do for me? Well, confirmed once more that the friends to lovers trope reigns supreme above all else. Their friendship was infused with tenderness and companionship and A HELLUVA LOT of sexual tension. When Twyla starts dating a posh dracologist in too-short shorts and Frank starts losing his lid, Twyla stops being able to avoid comparing him to the OTHER man in her life. 'Built like a battering ram' PLEASE, Frank's hotness was leaping off the page, as was his absolute love and devotion for his oblivious 'platonic' best friend. As if I wasn't already sweating from the loaded exchanges pre kiss, his growly 'stop me's boiled me alive. I love and adore them. Oh and I love that it was a romance between two middle-aged adults who had been unlucky in love before and STILL hot as all hell. Nice to read that for a change!

Couldn't have loved it more. I eagerly await MB's next release, because I can't get enough.

✨4.5 stars✨

I was so excited to see this come up on NetGalley and be accepted to receive the ARC that I made sure to read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy beforehand (which I loved) just so that I was ready for this one!

First and foremost, I loved the fact that the characters were in their fifties because it’s so refreshing to have older main characters especially in fantasy books. This added an interesting dynamic as both characters had insecurities from their prior relationships that is explored in this book which was well executed in my opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and seeing lots of the characters that we were introduced to in the first book.

I loved seeing how Twyla and Frank realised their feelings and transitioned from friends to lovers - this was really cute and I would really recommend this!! Especially if you read and enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.25⭐️

How often do you come across a romance novel about a middle aged (50+) couple? My wild guess: never? Isn‘t that just incredibly sad? Why is it that 99% of all MCs are in their early 20ies or if we‘re reeeeallllly pushing it then in their 30ies? Romance dies on the brink of your 40th birthday? Fuck no.

Which is why I LOVE that this book‘s about a couple that‘s just a tad bit older than the average romance MC. I was obsessed with book 1 and knew I‘d love the second book as well and I wasn‘t disappointed.

Twyla and Frank are besties, neighbours and work colleagues. And I‘m shocked that I actually like a friends to lovers romance! One day they come across the body of one of their colleagues, as well as a baby dragon and everything goes tits up. This book is so insanely quirky (even more so than book 1) and while this is some sort of murder mystery, things often stray from this plotline to explore motherhood, dragon hatchlings, quirky English lord-esque love interests and a growing realisation that the love you have for your bestie isn‘t only platonic.

I adored this a lot even though it bordered on too quirky / bizarre / over the top. The random singing? God I usually hate that so much. But for some reason I didn‘t really mind it here because it‘s just such a good time. Like you just KNOW this is going to be insanely silly. If you like your books to be on the more serious side you might have to skip this.

However, this isn‘t to say that it doesn‘t tackle more serious topics. What also stood out to me (even in the first book) was that the characters are flawed and make very normal/human mistakes which I found really refreshing. It‘s just really great to see a good character make a mistake, reflect on it and then apologise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to be blown away by this book and adore it, but it ended up being just fine for me.

There's not anything necessarily wrong with it - the overall plot is fun, returning to this very unique and well-developed fantasy world was wonderful, and I did like the characters of Twyla and Frank. But I felt like having just one POV really didn't do any favours. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (the first standalone set in this world) showed both of the character's POVs and in that sense the story was much better rounded. I felt disappointed not to get as much of Frank's voice than we did Twyla.

Here's what I really liked:
- older protagonists! Yes! More of this please. Don't leave the fantasy world-saving and the falling in love to the youths only.
- the portrayal of family relationships, especially how being a mother and grandmother shaped Twyla's life so much
- the world itself is so unique and interesting, I love how much thought has been put into it

What was lacking for me:
- how SLOW it was! It felt like it dragged at some points and probably could have been 100 pages shorter.
- the very slow burn romance plot - I think I was expecting more, but it took a long time to get there and at times I was frustrated with the way Twyla acted. It was obvious from chapter one how Frank felt.
- the 'crime' plot was not that engaging.

Overall, even though I was happy to be back with familiar settings and characters, it felt like it lacked whatever made Hart and Mercy so addictive.

We return to Eternity and to the fantastic world protected by the Tanrian Marshalls to follow the adventures of Twyla and Frank, who, for once, are not two young adults, but rather two middle-aged people dealing not only with their feelings, but more importantly-at least as far as I am concerned-with empathetic dragons. Good story, not on the level of Hart and Mercy in my opinion, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Torniamo ad Eternity e nel fantastico mondo protetto dai Ranger di Tanria per seguire le avventure di Twyla e Frank, che, per una volta non sono due giovani adulti, ma bensì due persone di mezz'etá che si trovano a che fare non solo con i loro sentimenti, ma soprattutto - almeno per quanto mi riguarda - con dei draghi empatici. Bella storia, non al livello di Hart e Mercy secondo me, ma comunque piacevoli.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

A beautiful story of friendship and love! Megan Bannens books have delivered every emotion available and this one did not disappoint.
Best friends and Marshal partners Twyla and Frank have it all planned out they will work until Twyla gets her marshal retirement banked and then retire and open up their own farm! However a dead marshal covered in glitter leads them down another road!
Dragons haven’t been seen since the old gods ruled . . . They wouldn’t be back now would they? As Twyla and Frank and some old friends investigate, Twyla and Frank have some things they need to uncover in their own lives!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I can't help myself. I fell in love with this world and the characters and the Nimkilins and the dragons (like how can you not?? And also, suck on that (ikyk)) and I want a part 3 sooo badly 🥹❤️ Please please please be about Duckers 🫶🏻

I don't think I have ever read a story with this much cute, entertaining, and still action-packed fantasy with two over-50-year-old best friends. I'm so here for romance stories about "older" couples in my sea of romances with people in their twenties 😅

The characters are so special and always dig themselves into my heart... This part was softer and slower than Part 1, and the plot with Hart and Mercy was hard to beat, which is why I could not give the same rating. This is the perfect book for anyone who fell in love with Eternity just like I did. It has dragons. So what else do you need? It also has Duckers, and he is probably the character I love the most, but that is just for the moment 🙈 (Fuck yeah (iykyk)), and I really want him to be the main character and get his own book. So please, Megan Bannen tell me that there will be a part 3, and please make it about Duckers?? Pretty please 🥹