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.