The Undermining of Twyla and Frank is one of my most anticipated releases. And it’s everything I was hoping. While it’s a connected world, if you love romance stories set later in life, ones that have women who have to re-evaluate who they are apart from their family and children, this is for you! Keep reading this book review of The Undermining of Twyla and Frank for my full thoughts.
Summary
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…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
We love a friends and neighbors to lovers. Can we also make some noise for love stories set later in life and not teens or young adults? Part of why I loved Twyla was that in The Undermining of Twyla and Frank she has to figure out who she is. Who is she if not a mother, if not a widow? How can she get back to who she was as a woman, as an individual? In marriage, and relationships, how do we do more than just be in love? How do we make sure our dreams are always being respected, that the daily tasks are always talked about?
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On the friends to lovers front, I love how you can see, from the beginning, who the simp is. Yet at the same time, they have a lot on the line. Their only real friendships and it’s such a strong one. They have plans! It begins with Twyla remembering to get out of her comfort zone and to see that we don’t have to compromise. We don’t have to worry about having someone who uses us as a stepping stool, as someone who will always be around. There are partners, true partners, in life.
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank was swoony and precious at the same time. Find it on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.