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 🥹

I didn't think I would enjoy this more than the The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy but I was very very wrong.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. It's one that I know I'll come back to time and time again as a comfort read because it's so much fun, is super sweet and put such a big smile on my face.

It was much easier to get into than the first book as all the world building had been taken care of so I could just enjoy the journey the characters went on. This meant that the pacing was much quicker too, with plenty of action and twists to keep you turning pages.

It was really refreshing to get a romance story about two middle-aged people and it worked so well. It wasn't all the same problems that romances about to people in their 20s and 30s have, adding a different dimension.

I really hope there are more stories to be told from this universe because I absolutely love it. I will not stop recommending this book to people.

Title: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank
Author: Megan Bannen
Publication Date: July 04, 2024
Rating: 3/5 stars

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is a charming mystery/fantasy story featuring a baby dragon and a slow burn romantic subplot involving best friends turned lovers. The romantic leads are Frank, a middle-aged divorced father, and Twyla, a middle-aged widow, who patrol Tanria in search of poachers and illegal miners in the magical realm. They stumble upon a dead Tanrian Marshal and evidence suggests that a dragon might be the culprit.

I loved the idea of two middle-aged characters, in their 50s, coming together to form a solid relationship based on a long-standing friendship, despite having complicated lives, frustrating children, and daily struggles. Not your typical twentysomething Romantasy characters, Twyla and Frank are two adorable characters.

Plotwise, it was okay. It's pacing was so slow-going that it seemed like it wasn't going anywhere. It also didn't work as a gripping story that was solely dependent on my personal tastes. I'm giving this a 3-star rating because, overall, I was hoping for much more.

OMG
THIS BOOK IS SOOOOOO UNDERRATED
I LOVE THIS BOOK
MY NEW FAV BOOK
TWYLA AND FRANK ARE PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!

I loved The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy and had such high hopes for this one - and thankfully it lived up to them!

I thought choosing Twyla and Frank was such a refreshing choice for the main couple and I loved spending time with them and am quite desperate for someone to call me darlin’ like Frank.

It was so good to be back in this world and I loved how Megan Banner developed Tanria. We get to see Hart and Mercy’s wedding, which was delightful. I hope we can see a scene from their pov on this sometime. Duckers is back and as incorrigible as ever and Hermia the nimilkin is hilarious. I knew I’d love this from the moment the glitter appeared.

Frank and Twyla are so lovely together and I loved Twyla’s journey. If anything I’d have liked more time of seeing them together as a couple but that’s a minor point. I cannot wait for another book in this world.

I love this world that Megan Bannen has built and would happily read whatever she publishes that is set there.

This one was another charming, cosy fantasy with wonderful characters that made for a very enjoyable read. I will say that I didn't quite enjoy it as much as Hart & Mercy but saying that, H&M would take a lot of beating for me, not just from Bannen herself but from any of the other books I've read recently, it became a firm favourite very quickly.

We get to see more of the characters we met in H&M, as well as getting to know others mentioned briefly there, better. It was refreshing to have MCs who were older, particularly an older woman and Twyla was great.

Please write more Megan!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

The undertaking of hart and mercy was one of my favourite reads from 2023. I was so happy to see that some characters crossed over, namely Duckers. I also liked that this book built on the world introduced in the undertaking of hart and mercy, particularly Tanria.

This book is a lovely little love story about two middle aged best friends who have a second chance at love, with each other. The magical setting and dragons adds to the whimsy of the story.

I'm not sure I can adequately put into words exactly how much I adore this book. Megan Bannen has crafted an incredible world and stuffed it full of characters that I desperately want to know in real life. The romance is sweet and sexy and feels so completely natural. The plot is outrageously silly but somehow completely works. I would read literally anything set in this world, and am begging for more!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy earlier this year and anticipated this release. I am now happy to report that this book didn't disappointed! The world is whimsical, the atmosphere feels cozy, the dialogue is funny and the characters are absolutely lovable. The cherry on top are the pink dragons.

In this book, we follow the two Marshalls Twyla and Frank, who have been partners for some time, and friends for even longer. While out on duty, are colleague end ups dead, but to make up for it, dragons appears and lucky for Frank, one of the baby dragons hatches after the mother left and latches onto him. The pacing was good and I flew through the book. The only issue I have with the plot is that the problems with the dragons ended a bit quickly and we didn't learn about the solution until the epilogue.

Like in the first book, the characters felt real and I loved the dialogue and interaction between them. Their conversations made me laugh on multiple occasion. However, it was a bit harder to connect to (mainly) Twyla and Frank compared to Hart and Mercy, simply because they are in their fifties. Their problems aren't relatable to me. It was also a bit much for me how often Twyla would talk down on her changed body because of her ages and due to giving birth three times. I wished that she would have realized that women are always worthy of love and not only until they're thirty. Despite that, it was refreshing to see a romantasy with older main protagonists!

Overall a good book and I now patiently wait a sequel that is hopefully about Ducker.

Great thanks to Netgally and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc! This review will be published on my goodreads account on the 18th of June.

Read if you like: friends to lovers, fantasy, dragons, single parents, middles aged widows, mystery

Meh. That’s how I feel about this book.

A love triangle is NOT my cup of tea - I really wanted to like this book but I couldn’t get past the love triangle, and where was the Harry met Sally vibes?? 😭 there was zero chemistry and romance, I was just not convinced

I was really disappointed in the ending/this whole book. I needed it to be more flushed out + the villain motive was terrible 🥲
I felt like a lot of the scenes in this book were either too dragged out or they were repetitive. The author kept pushing the fact that the MCs were too old, too soft, too average, too boring- it was getting really annoying. I ended not liking the MCs at all. All Twyla did was complain and I was OVERRRR IT

Then to top it off there was miscommunication. Ugh.

What I did like:
- The world is very unique
- Twyla and Franks friendship
- Mercy and Harts wedding

Maybe someone else will like this book, it was just a huge miss for me

This review will be posted on goodreads on the 20th June.

Ok, so you all know I adored the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy right? So I was a little worried going into this that it wouldn't live up to the first book, but boy did it and then some. Turns out that I am an absolute sucker for friends to lovers & he falls first because I loved this book so much.

Unlike the first book this is told solely from the female POV. Twyla, a Tanrian Marshall and a, shall we say slightly more mature character. Twyla joined the marshalls after the death of her husband left her wondering how she would still be able to provide for her family, and when Frank recommended she join, it started a friendship that has survived thick and thin. I actually really loved Bannen's choice to make both the MC's middle aged. I think she did a brilliant job of showing the highs and lows of being on the older side. They have a wealth of life experience behind them, but, hilariously, can't see what everyone else can, what's right in front of them. I did, maybe, miss not getting Frank's POV. Although we can guess at what he's thinking through most of the story, I would have enjoyed just one or two chapters from his POV allowing us a more in depth insight into his feelings for Twyla.

If you read Bannen's previous book then you're going to be expecting quirky, and she absolutely delivers. The storyline is far fetched as hell, the villain absolutely shocking and the motive downright ridiculous, but it just works. Bannen manages to make the unbelievable, believable thanks to her unique and quirky fantasy setting and the absolute loons of characters that call it home. She gives us a little more world building in this one, and introduces Dragons in the most cute and non vicious way she possibly could, and I definitely got hit in the feels when one of them latched onto Frank. These managed to add plenty of danger to the story, without them really being very dangerous themselves, but they also add plenty of hilarity and hi-jinks which I loved.

The romance was so good, and if I had one issue it would be that there wasn't enough of it. It's soooo slow burn and took an absolute age before our two characters had any kind of romantic interaction, and the wait was torturous, but boy was the pay off worth it. If you're a fan of idiots in love, one where the man fell years and years ago, you're going to love this one. It was so obvious to me that Frank had feelings for Twyla but never acted on them, thinking she was still in mourning for her dead husband, that is until she starts dating someone else. It was hilarious, but also downright tension filled in parts, and although there was a slight, kinda love triangle, I didn't mind it too much because it took that to get these two idiots to realise their feelings for one another. Bannen really shows the romance in knowing one person so well you can read their thoughts, know their actions and wants and needs, and I really enjoyed their romance once the inevitable bang happened (pun fully intended.)

I love these characters, I love this world, and honestly just want Bannen to keep writing romance after romance set here. It's just so much fun, quirky as hell, absolutely bonkers in parts, but entertaining as hell and I love how her twists come out of nowhere in the best possible way. Twyla and Frank are just the cutest two idiots in love, and I especially loved seeing their interactions with Duckers (Hart's partner from book one) who was equally exasperated with them and in need of their advice... Twyla's mum voice is not to be messed with guys. Seriously though, if you're up for a bit of fun, and don't mind things being out there, yes, even for fantasy, I would 100% give this series a go.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

ANOTHER 5* READ FROM MEGAN BANNEN!!
I was so excited to hear there was a second book in the Hart and Mercy universe coming out, and this did not disappoint!

I loved the fresh new take on two slightly older characters and have had a bit more life experience. I also liked how their love lives can be just as messy as a teenager's love life!
Different vibes from Hart and Mercy, but just as sweet, just as spicy, and still left me hungry for more!

One thing about Megan Bannen’s books is that they are not like any other and I mean that in the best way possible.
I didn’t immediately get into this story but once I was, I absolutely LOVED it.
Twyla, bless your heart and Frankie you’re a big old sop’ and I’m 1000% here for it. The romance was great, and I enjoyed that it wasn’t your typical romance in the way of showing that they love each other. Also; I need Mary Georgina to be real right this instant!

My favorite quote of the book:

“You have never been a chair to me, and you never will be.” Iykyk 🥹💜

3.75⭐ This was a cozy and cute fantasy that, much like the previous book by the author (The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy which is an interconnected standalone) is set in a quirky, whimsical world complete with demigods, woodland creatures that deliver the post and even dragons (including a very cute baby dragon!) I liked that this book was a friends to lovers romance between characters who are older (in their 50's) as this is not often done so it was quite refreshing to read. I thought that Frank was an absolute sweetheart and Twyla could be pretty badass at times although for as often as she says she doesn't want to be just a mum and a wife or be walked all over I wished she had a little bit more gumption. I was a little confused by her relationship with Quill because after one date and without any conversation he seems to think they are in a relationship and acts this way but even though Twyla expresses that it isn't a relationship and that she is annoyed by his behaviour which is possessive at times she just lets him continue like it for most of the book and then contradicts herself by saying they broke up (but it wasn't a relationship) I also found myself getting irritated by a) the lack of communication between Twyla and Frank and b) how often Twyla used 'the phrase 'Ope'... basically Twyla as a character was frustrating to me at times but I could also empathise with her and feel like she was intentionally imperfect with flaws. I will say that my frustrations were mostly forgotten when there was a twist that had me picking my jaw off of the floor- it was superbly done and genuinely shocked me! Sadly, this didn't live up to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy for me but I still enjoyed the book as a whole and would recommend it if you're after a fun and quirky read.