I love the world that Megan Bannen has created. The magic, the romance and the humour makes this such a fun book to read. While I still think I love the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy the most, this may officially be my second favourite out of the Trilogy. To some extent there is some "insta love" but in the context of the book (being trapped together in the mist, and other things I won't spoil) it does make sense. I also love that in each of these books we get a continuation of what is happening to previous characters and how they have evolved. The demigod angle keeps this story fresh and the fact that Dr Adam is a new character to the story is a nice addition too. I did guess the twist but that doesn't mean it is a bad story - it just means all the context clues lined up nicely!

also for the fans of Zeddy and Duckers - they are also a key element of this story too!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

What a phenomenal end to the trilogy. These have to be some of the most amazing characters in a beautifully crafted magical world. Dragons, portals, old gods and love; what more could you want.
This went in such unexpected directions, whilst keeping the familiar close at hand.
I loved absolutely everything about this series.

I'm absolutely gutted to be rating this 2/5 because there was just so much that I adored about it. I loved the prickly, buttoned up nature for Adam and Rosie's unabashed spirit and love for expensive underwear. It was so heartwarming to get glimpses of couples from previous books and knit each story together.
I've never been huge for instalove and I felt that this could have had readers swooning if there was more yearning and build-up. I also really struggled with some of the language used in the writing style that felt much too young for the age of the characters (e.g. "for the vibes").
Overall, a sweet and cheesy read.

This is a lovely story with found family, a myth worthy mystery and a dash of romance at the centre. It was great to be back in this world, with familiar characters and a cosy found family feeling. The magic and mythos of this world is unique and a joy to read.

The romance itself felt a little underplayed to me, while I loved both Rosie and Adam I would have liked to have experienced more of them falling in love.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to those who've read the rest in the series, or those looking for a unique setting and wonderful characters at its heart. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I truly adore this series, and every book in it has been a five-star read for me. The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is no exception.

The book follows Rosie, an immortal demigod, and Adam, a reserved scientist, as they’re forced to confront their tangled pasts while trying to survive the collapse of the magical national park of Tanria. Though the story is set ten years after the events of the previous book, we’re treated to appearances from familiar characters like Hart and Mercy, Twyla and Frank, and others – including the dragons we all loved in book two. The worldbuilding is also expanded significantly: we learn much more about the past, the gods, the afterlife, and how it all operates.

One of the things I love about Megan Bannen's writing is how she consistently creates unconventional yet deeply compelling romantic pairings. In this case, the male lead is significantly shorter than the female lead – but it’s portrayed with such confidence and charm that height simply doesn’t matter. The dynamic between Rosie and Adam is a delightful mix of opposites attract and forced proximity, making their relationship both sweet and emotionally resonant. They might just be my favorite couple in the trilogy. Technically, it’s not a slow burn, since the main events take place over a relatively short span of time, but from the reader’s perspective, the romantic development still unfolds gradually – and the wait is absolutely worth it. The chemistry between Rosie and Adam is palpable and beautifully written.

The book also gives ample space to other meaningful relationships. Alongside Rosie and Adam’s arc, there’s a lovely subplot featuring Duckers and Zeddie (introduced in The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy) and they are so sweet together! I also really appreciated the friendship and work dynamic between Rosie and Duckers. It was wonderful to see characters portrayed not only through their romantic relationships but also through their connections with other important figures in their lives.

While this series is often labeled as cozy fantasy – and there are certainly many cozy elements here – the plot is relatively straightforward, and the twists are kind of predictable. But that’s not a flaw; stories like this are meant to bring comfort and joy, not shock and awe. Still, the book doesn’t shy away from deeper, more poignant themes. Bannen thoughtfully explores topics like the complexities of parent-child relationships and the lingering pain of grief, adding emotional richness to the narrative.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic conclusion to a delightful series that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It’s heartfelt, comforting, and emotionally satisfying. If you enjoyed the previous books (and I definitely recommend reading them first), I’m confident you’ll love this one too.

This was the perfect conclusion to a much loved trilogy!

Every time I think that I've found my favorite Megan Bannen story, she drops another one and I'm absolutely sucker punched into somehow loving it even more than the last.

I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of Rosie and Adam's characters throughout this story, as well as the adjacent growth and understanding of fan favorites Duckers and Zeddie.

Though I lament that this series is over, I think Bannen brought it to a beautiful and well-rounded close, one that was emotional and satisfying across the board.

How sad to have to say goodbye to Eternity and Tandria, but surely this is a finale with a bang! A series of questions are answered and my favorite ranger got the ending she craves. There is also time to say goodbye to all the past characters, especially my favorites who remain over all Hart and Mercy, probably because the first book was so confusing in the beginning that I almost didn't finish it and what a pity that would have been....

Che tristezza dover salutare Eternity e Tandria, ma sicuramente questo é un finale col botto! Una serie di domande trovano la risposta e la mia ranger preferita il finale che desidera. C'é anche il tempo di salutare tutti i personaggi passati, soprattutto i miei preferiti che restano su tutti Hart e Mercy, probabilmente perché il primo libro é stato cosí confuso all'inizio, che ho rischiato di non finirlo e che peccato sarebbe stato....

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

A fitting end to a slightly bonkers but super heartwarming series. Love Rosie as an FMC quite a lot. Would have liked Adam’s POV to flesh him out slightly but I still thoroughly enjoyed.

The world took me until this book to properly understand but I’m not mad at it because it’s something so unique.

The characters are not classic romance leads and the dragons cough up glitter.

Would recommend the whole trilogy, for a palette cleanser of weirdness that’s also super cute.

I am beyond gutted that we are leaving the world of Tanria, but it has ended in the most perfect way possible. I have loved everything single bit of this series and I’m gutted we won’t have any more books with these delightful characters.

Adam and Rosie were the main characters of my dreams. The yearning between the two of them set my heart a flutter. Just the way love between them was written was so pure and beautiful. It’s setting us up for a love we’ll probably never experience.

Rosie is also the FMC I wish I could be. Hilarious, determined, brave and downright fantastic. I enjoyed seeing more of her character. She was written so fantastically that I know I’m going to miss her a hell of a lot.

It was also lovely to see Zeddie and Duckers again. I wish they would have got their own book in the series and I freaking love Duckers so much. I want to put him in my pocket and protect him forever. But knowing that we got to see them together again was such a treat.

I’m gutted that this is a goodbye, but I’m so grateful for the time we got to spend in Tanria/Eternity that I can’t be upset.

Such an inspiring and beautiful story, Megan Bannen has this ability to capture a simple romantic situation and make it something magical. This book is the third in a series but could easily be read as a standalone.

What a delightful read! The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is a charming and heartfelt story that blends humor with real-life struggles in such a beautiful way. Megan Bannen captures the awkwardness and sweetness of relationships perfectly, while also exploring deeper themes of self-discovery and growth. The chemistry between Rosie and Adam is undeniable, and I couldn’t help but root for them the whole way through. A perfect book for anyone who loves smart, emotional romance with a touch of wit!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I went into this book a little apprehensive as I’d managed to completely miss that it’s the third in a series when I requested an ARC on NetGalley so I wasn’t sure how well I’d be able to follow the story. I was pleasantly surprised that this didn’t matter too much, there was a decent recap of the previous books and characters that fit into the story very nicely.
 
Rosie Fox is a 135-year-old immortal who is starting to feel very tired of this whole out living everyone she’s ever loved. Dr Adam Lee is a grumpy inventor whose portal invention has allowed humans to explore Tanria, the former prison of the old gods. The two briefly met 5 years ago but a mishap with the portals brings the two back together when Rosie and Duckers (her best friend) are tasked with escorting Adam as he attempts to fix the portals.
 
This story felt very fresh, lots of romantasy books follow very similar storylines so they’re a predictable read but The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam doesn’t follow the same basically-child FMC meets a 500-year-old fae/god MMC story which is a pleasant change! I thought one of the twists was a bit predictable, but it was done in such a way that I didn’t guess the whole twist (although that could be because I hadn’t read the earlier books).
 
The side characters in the book are all great, most come from books earlier in the series, so they feel very fleshed out. Duckers and Zeddie were my absolute favourite side characters; I’d love a novella from their POV! 
 
My gripes with the book are:
- The language feels a little childish at times
- Not a huge fan of insta love
- Some characterisations were very repetitive 
 
Overall, a solid 3.75 and I’ve added the previous books to my TBR!
 
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for a copy of this ARC.

My first EVER NetGalley arc and also my most anticipated release of the year, so no pressure then..!

I was so overwhelmingly happy to get back to Tanria and Eternity and I do not jest when I say I would die for every one of these characters.

This one was even wilder than the previous books, more gods, higher stakes and another pairing with a journey that pulls on the mortal and immortal heartstrings and had me crying into the final pages.

True to the series we’ve come to love, Rosie and Adam aren’t your typical romance match, and I love that Megan does this so well.

The lore in this story was out of this world, literally, so much detail and I found myself reading faster and faster, I loved how the myths and the Old Gods and the magic added to Rosie and Adam’s story.

And finally Duckers, Penny D, Pen - while I’m sad he won’t get his own book he has to win something for best side character. This is Found Family at its finest.

I’m gutted this series is over but so happy to have had these characters in my life and already excited to reread, and to see what Megan brings us next!

4.5

Megan Banner has done it again! This was such a great conclusion to the Tanria series of books. I loved the first two books and this one did not disappoint. I adore this series. The world is brilliant, especially the gods and myths back story. Tanria as a concept is also utterly brilliant and I can’t get enough of all the weirdly wonderful details and creatures such as graps and equimaris (shout out to Saltlicker!)

But I think what makes this such a compelling series, aside from the brilliant fantasy setting, is that Megan writes such compelling couples and isn’t afraid to feature “unconventional” for the romance genre couples. Here we have Rosie and Adam - vibrant, vivacious Rosie and stoic, dry Adam who work so well together. And Rosie is 6 ft 5 and Adam is 5 ft 3. I loved this flip of the classic tall buff MMC and the tiny, pretty FMC.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is slightly less romance centered than the previous books. The plot and story lean more towards the world and developing the lore of Tanria, but I actually think this was beautifully blended with the romance. The romance is a slow burn but I found it brilliant and swoony.

Rosie is utterly brilliant and I love it when quiet characters like Adam are written compellingly. Rosie is written so well - she’s outgoing, funny, loving and brave, whilst still navigating melancholy and anxiety. Despite the concerns and difficulties about her immortality, she’s doesn’t let it stop her from caring and loving and living life at 100. She’s my hero. And we get so much more of everyone’s favourite side character, Duckers! Penny-D! My only regret is he did not get his own book. Boy deserved it.

I gobbled up this book and am sad that it is over. I have a book hangover and an inexplicable desire to go fancy “intimates” shopping. This book will make you question your underwear choices!

While reading book two of the series, I was hoping so badly that the third book would be about Rosie and it's everything I wanted and more! She's such an interesting and funny character. As an immortal demi-god, Rosie has been around a very long time and despite her close friendship with Duckers, she's lonely. I loved her as a side character in the previous books, but getting up close and personal with her and seeing all her quirks and vulnerabilities - she has my full heart. She's a very quirky character and might not be for everyone, but I really liked her and was rooting for her to get her HEA.

My one rule with rating books is that if a book makes me cry, it gets 5 stars, and this book made me cry twice. A five star doesn't mean it was perfect - I think some of the banter between the MCs was repeated a little too much - but it gets 5 stars because I had an emotional connection to the characters. It was funny and the characters were distinct and original. The series was wrapped up nicely and I'm interested to see what's next for the author!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam is the third and final book in the Hart and Mercy series. This book follows demigod Rosie Fox, who has been patrolling Tanria for decades, but lately, the job has been losing its lustre. When Rosie dies (again) by electrocution (again) after poking around inside a portal choked with shadowy thorns only she can see, she feels stuck in the rut that is her unending life. Dr. Adam Lee, the portal inventor, must come in person to repair the damage. But, when all the portals break down, he declares an emergency evacuation of Tanria. In the mad rush to get out, Rosie and Adam end up trapped inside the Mist. Together.

This book had a ten year time jump from the previous book in the series, and it was so nice to see what the characters were getting up to, and how their families had expanded. I was happy to see the return of Zeddie, and I was of course thrilled to have plenty of Duckers (my favourite character!) whose banter with Rosie was great. I also loved seeing the dragons again, and learning more about the gods and the history of Tanria and Bushong.

However, I could not get behind the romance between Rosie and Adam. They had zero chemistry, and their relationship felt like insta love. As they were stuck together, there could have been several forced proximity situations to create tension, but there were unfortunately none. I liked Rosie well enough as a character, but Adam lacked personality, and I couldn’t connect to him.

The ending was sweet and hopeful, and I am sad to see this series end. Although this last book was slightly disappointing to me, I would still recommend this series for anyone looking for fantasy books that feels cosy, but still have exciting plots and emotional stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.