Callum Flannelly is as shy as shy can be, which doesn't usually matter much because he's an undertaker. But his grandfather's will says that he must marry by 35 if he wants to inherit the family's undertaking business, and that birthday is just months away. Enter Texan animator Lark Thompson. Outgoing and kind, she moved to Galway, Ireland, for a fresh start after losing her husband, and the last thing she wanted was to be reminded of it constantly by moving next to a funeral home. She ends up becoming quick friends with shy Callum and promises to help him find The One before the deadline. The only problem is that they're both feeling like The One is each other, but Lark doesn't feel ready to stop grieving.

It's such a great romance. The epitome of grumpy/sunshine with the added element of grieving to show how love can heal if you let it. It's a delight to see Lark's outgoing personality push Callum out of his comfort zone to the point that he finds himself willingly doing things he might not have thought possible. And it's also great to see Lark learn to live with her feelings and accept that she's worthy of finding love again.
I don't know if it's just me or if there is an overabundance of books with grief as a major part of the plot lately, but out of the (way too many) I've read in the last year, I think Fairbanks is one of the authors who handles it best. Yes, there is sadness and a desire to hold on to it as the only thing you have left, but you can also hold on to the good memories and live on with those. It's not magical healing, it's waking up and deciding that you're going to be okay. I loved that.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the wonderful romance read!