Book Review: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

Title: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank
Author: Megan Bannen
Series: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy #2
Pages: 464
Publication Date: July 2, 2024
Publisher: Orbit
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.

Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank’s job a lot safer … and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter–and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon–they are more than happy to be back on the beat.

Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank’s investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along…

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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I was so excited to return to the unique and fascinating world we were first introduced to in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy. I adored Hart and Mercy and their swoon-worthy romance, and it made my heart so happy to see them as well as some other faves from the first book.

One character that completely stole the show for me was Duckers. He’s hysterical, and there are so many laugh-out-loud moments with him. We also get to see a more sensitive side to Duckers, especially when he’s with Twyla. I think it’s her “mom-ness,” as Duckers calls it. She is so easy to talk to, and she’s super supportive. Speaking of Twyla, I loved her, too, and Frank. They were such fantastic protagonists – layered and interesting, and they have such a wonderful relationship!

Frank and Twyla are an older couple in their fifties with grown children, and they’ve supported each other through divorce, deaths, new careers, and more. I don’t come across a ton of fantasy-romances with middle-aged protagonists, and I found a lot of what Twyla went through relatable as she deals with motherhood, family expectations and strife, body issues, and more. Work partners and long-time BFFs, Frank and Twyla know each other inside and out, and they have amazing chemistry. It’s plain to see how deeply they love each other, and I was 100 percent rooting for them to turn their friendship into something more! There is a bit of a love triangle, but it’s done well, and I actually liked it.

The world-building is fascinating too, but the best thing about it – THE DRAGONS, especially one super cute pink baby dragon that has a special connection with Frank! I need one in my life, please! The dragons are so different from how they’re often depicted in other books, and it was awesome! And THE WEDDING! It was everything I hoped for and more, and it was one of the most romantic and lovely scenes in the book. I may have hugged the book when I read that part because it had my entire heart.

I have a feeling this will go down as one of my all-time favorite cozy fantasy series. It’s the perfect combination of fantasy, romance, intrigue, and humor, and I adore the characters and the love stories. Twyla and Frank felt different in tone from Hart and Mercy, which was a bit darker and more pulse-pounding, and it’s an interesting shift. I’m curious to see if there will be another book in the series and how the dynamics will again change! Special thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

• The wedding!

• The dragons.

• Duckers!!

• The love story.

• friends-to-lovers
• love triangle
• cozy fantasy
• DRAGONS!!

Megan Bannen is a USA Today bestselling author of award-winning speculative fiction. Her work has been selected for the RUSA Reading List, the Indies Introduce list, and the Kids’ Indie Next List, along with numerous best-of-the-year compilations. As a former public librarian, she has spent most of her professional career behind a reference desk, but she has also sold luggage, written grants, collected a few graduate degrees from various Kansas universities, and taught English at home and abroad. She lives in the Kansas City area with her family and more pets than is reasonable.

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