Megan Bannen has crafted something truly extraordinary in the third installment of her Hart and Mercy series. The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam takes readers on a journey that is simultaneously achingly familiar and brilliantly unexpected, proving once again that Bannen’s unique blend of whimsy and depth makes for utterly compelling fantasy romance.
The Melancholy of Eternal Life
Rosie Fox is a revelation of a protagonist. At 157 years old, this immortal demigod has lived enough lives to fill several novels, yet Bannen manages to make her feel fresh and relatable despite her extraordinary circumstances. Rosie’s existential weariness resonates in ways that feel surprisingly contemporary—who among us hasn’t felt stuck in the endless rut of routine, even without the curse of literal immortality?
Bannen’s exploration of what it means to live forever when everyone you love dies around you is perhaps the novel’s greatest strength. Rosie’s relationship with mortality is complex and nuanced. She’s died over a hundred times, always returning to life, always carrying the weight of that endless cycle. When she muses about the word “red” in the opening chapter—questioning whether things are truly the color we call them—it’s really an examination of how language and perception shape our understanding of existence itself.
The author’s prose here is particularly elegant, weaving philosophical questions about identity and permanence into seemingly simple observations about hair color and dust. This attention to the poetry of everyday details elevates what could have been a straightforward fantasy romance into something more profound.
The Enigmatic Dr. Adam Lee
Adam Lee serves as the perfect foil to Rosie’s exuberant personality. Where she is loud and vibrant and “too much,” he is measured, precise, and emotionally contained. Their opposites-attract dynamic works because Bannen takes the time to develop both characters beyond their surface traits. Adam’s carefully maintained emotional distance isn’t just personality quirk—it’s the armor of someone who has lived for two millennia with a magical vine growing through his chest.
The revelation of Adam’s true identity as Prince Lidojozháis Mäkherkis Ödamika, the legendary Briar Thief, adds layers of mythology to the romance without overwhelming it. Bannen skillfully weaves Adam’s heroic past into his present-day struggles, creating a character who is both larger than life and deeply human. His dry humor provides some of the novel’s best moments, particularly his deadpan observations about walking across ocean floors and his careful pronunciation of Rosie’s vintage autoduck.
A World That Breathes with Life
The Hart and Mercy series has always excelled at world-building that feels both fantastical and lived-in, and this third book continues that tradition. Tanria, with its portal technology and mysterious Mist, serves as more than just a setting—it becomes a character in its own right. The shadowy vines that only Rosie can see create an atmosphere of mounting dread that perfectly balances the lighter romantic elements.
Bannen’s attention to detail shines in her descriptions of everything from Rosie’s beloved Gratton Parker autoduck to the glitter-breathing dragons that populate Tanria. These elements feel natural and integrated rather than forced, creating a world where magic and technology coexist in ways that feel both whimsical and logical.
The series’ connections to its predecessors are handled with particular care. Readers familiar with Hart and Mercy’s story from book one will appreciate the cameos and references, while newcomers won’t feel lost. The mention of Twyla and Frank from book two adds depth to the shared universe without being intrusive.
The Complexity of Family Dysfunction
One of the novel’s most compelling subplot involves Rosie’s relationship with her father, the Trickster. This isn’t the romanticized absent father trope often found in fantasy; instead, Bannen presents us with a genuinely toxic parental relationship that feels painfully real despite its divine dimensions. The Trickster’s narcissistic tendencies and his inability to see beyond his own needs create a dynamic that many readers will recognize from their own family experiences.
The confrontation between Rosie and her father in the garden of the Old Gods is particularly well-crafted. The Trickster’s insistence that “a god’s love is different from a mortal’s love” serves as a weak justification for emotional neglect that rings true to anyone who has dealt with a parent who refuses to take responsibility for their failures.
Romance That Earns Its Emotional Weight
The central romance between Rosie and Adam develops with remarkable patience. Bannen allows their relationship to build through shared adversity and genuine understanding rather than relying on instant attraction or contrived misunderstandings. Their banter crackles with wit, but it’s their quieter moments—sharing books, discussing the weight of immortality—that give their romance its emotional foundation.
The physical manifestation of Adam’s curse, with the vine literally growing through his chest, serves as a powerful metaphor for how past trauma can literally grow inside us if left untreated. When Rosie helps him remove the vine, it’s not just a magical cure but a symbolic representation of how love can help us heal from our deepest wounds.
Minor Criticisms in Paradise
While “The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam” succeeds on most fronts, there are occasional moments where the pacing falters slightly. The middle section, where the characters are trapped in the Mist, sometimes feels longer than necessary. Some readers might find the philosophical discussions about immortality and choice a bit heavy-handed, though these moments are generally well-integrated into the character development.
The resolution involving the Unknown God feels somewhat rushed compared to the careful buildup throughout the rest of the novel. While thematically appropriate, the ending might leave some readers wanting more exploration of the aftermath and consequences of the characters’ choices.
A Series That Continues to Evolve
What makes the Hart and Mercy series special is Bannen’s commitment to exploring different aspects of love and relationships across each book. Where the first book focused on enemies-to-lovers through correspondence, and the second explored midlife romance, this third installment, The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam, tackles the question of what it means to choose love when you have all the time in the world.
Bannen’s writing style has also evolved throughout the series. Her prose has become more confident and lyrical, particularly in her handling of emotional scenes. The balance between humor and pathos feels more natural here than in previous books, “The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy” and “The Undermining of Twyla and Frank“, creating a reading experience that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying.
The Magic of Mundane Details
One of Bannen’s greatest strengths lies in her ability to make the fantastical feel grounded through attention to everyday details. Rosie’s love for her vintage autoduck, her pride in her expensive lingerie, her practical approach to immortality—these elements make her feel like a real person rather than a fantasy archetype.
The world-building benefits from this same attention to the mundane. Portal technology feels like a natural extension of the world’s magical systems, while the bureaucracy of the Tanrian Marshals Service adds a layer of realism that grounds the more fantastical elements.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Addition to a Beloved Series
The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam succeeds as both a standalone romance and as the third book in an ongoing series. Bannen has created characters who feel genuinely human despite their supernatural circumstances, and their love story unfolds with the kind of emotional authenticity that makes readers invest in their happiness.
The novel tackles weighty themes about mortality, family dysfunction, and the nature of choice while maintaining the series’ characteristic blend of humor and heart. While it may not reach the absolute heights of the first book’s enemies-to-lovers perfection, it more than holds its own as a thoughtful exploration of what it means to choose love in the face of eternity.
For readers who have followed Hart and Mercy from the beginning, this book provides a satisfying continuation of the series’ themes while introducing new characters worth caring about. For newcomers, it offers an excellent entry point into Bannen’s richly imagined world.
If You Loved This, Try These
For readers who enjoyed the immortal romance elements:
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
- The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
For those drawn to the cozy fantasy aspects:
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
And for readers seeking more fantasy romance with depth:
- Divine Might by Jenna Wolfhart
- Hunt on Dark Waters by Katee Robert
The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam reminds us that the best fantasy romance doesn’t just give us escape—it helps us understand something fundamental about the human experience, even when its characters are anything but human.
