M0rbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks 💚
Love in Galway, Book 1
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
🗓️ August 20
356 pages

•friends to lovers
•neighbors to lovers
•should’ve been a marriage of convenience
•fling-but-you-must-still-date-other-people to more
•grumpy x sunshine
•second chance at love
•American girl in Ireland
•he falls first

📌“I wanted to d!e. Conveniently, I now lived next door to a funeral parlor.”

📌“I’ve no idea what to make of you.”
“Make me your friend.”

📌“No one could make me forget about Lark, not in a million years.”

I wanted a marriage of convenience. I was denied. And I took it personally.

So, please know this is on me. Not on the book.

Cal was absolutely marvelous.
Lark had her moments.
Sean can go [insert first awful thing that comes to mind] somewhere.
Saoirse was surprisingly likable. Look at me enjoying the other maybe woman-to-be. Is this maturing?! 🤔 probably not.
Ireland is one of the places I want to visit.

If you loved Happy Medium and The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy series, you’ll probably love this one too. Give it a try 😜

Lark is running away from her past by taking a short term job in Ireland. There, she meets her neighbor Callum, who runs a funeral home. Their budding friendship starts by trying to find Callum a wife, but turns into them fighting their attraction to one another. What could go wrong?

This romance has it all - friendship, emotion, grief, spice. While a slow burn can sometimes ruin a storyline (for me), I really enjoyed this one! 4.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

I took one look at this cover and knew I had to read it, and I'm happy to report it did not disappoint. Lark is an animator from Texas who decides to take a temporary job in Ireland to get away from her previous life as she is still struggling with grief after losing her husband. Callum runs the family morgue and is very introverted. Lark moves in next door and they quickly connect, seeing and understandings each other faults. I love that Morbidly Yours starts with this beautiful friendship.

There are a couple of side stories, an issue at Lark's new job and Callum needs to get married to keep his mortuary, however it's Lark and Callum's relationship that shines through. It's a slow burn (but spicy!) and they both have things they need to work though. I thought Callum's being a demisexual would play a bigger roll, as it seemed in the beginning this would be a discovery of himself, but really once they "gave it a name" it ceased to matter to the plot.

This was actually fantastic. I wasn't quite sure going in because I'm typically not a friends to lovers fan, but the author did it perfectly. There's absolutely the tension and drama you would hope for.

Honestly, the romance itself was my favorite part. The overarching plot was great don't get me wrong, but they were just the cutest freaking couple. I can't even count how many times I laughed or kicked my feet.

The only reason it's not a five star is I didn't like how the third act conflict was handled. If it wasn't for that, and that's definitely a personal thing, it would be perfect.

3.5 -⭐⭐⭐💫

"You make me feel so alive even when I'm surrounded by death."

Morbidly Yours is the first novel in the adult contemporary romance series, Love in Galway, which are interconnected standalone. In this we follow Callum and Lark.

Lark is an American coming to Ireland to escape home after the death of her husband and devastation left. What she did not expect was she would herself neighbour an undertaker, which she learns through an unfortunate delivery of body bags to her doorstep. Meanwhile Callum, said undertaker, is in a bit of a sticky situation with his business and home at risk unless he can find a wife in eight months, thanks to his grandfather's will. The two strike up a friendship that quickly evolves to a dating project to help Callum find someone to love but when chemistry rises will they be able to find him a match or will their connection be impossible to ignore?

Overall I enjoyed this book but there are some ups and downs.

Lark is a character troubled by the past. She is a brilliant animator and shines with her creativity and loyalty but she has a lot of guilt and unresolved situations she has escaped from. It leads to a lot of back and forth that can be frustrating at times but it is understood given what she has experienced.

Callum is a sweetie. He is shy and I felt his demisexuality resonated with me. He needs connection (not attraction) to want to be with someone and watching him come to care for Lark was sweet. He struggles a lot with trying to do what he needs for his family business and I truly felt for him.

There are also some great side characters who help try to push the characters to do the right thing...but they don't necessarily listen...

This book does contain spice. I would say 1.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. This book is a slow burn as the two characters grapple with their feelings and expectations. There are about 2 spicy scenes I can recall (don't quote me on that). The spice isn't super explicit and has a more romantic feeling. I felt it was well written and worked well for the characters as their connection is romance first or sexual attraction. This is where the banter in this book worked so well to help establish that.

"You know, I've never been inside one of these [hearses] before."
"I've never had a passenger so talkative."

The story itself follows two storylines. Lark's story around her animator contract and one employee working under her causing problems drew me in throughout. I also found the plot around her husband's death and the family she left behind to have a good level of drama. Callum's story initially intrigued me but as time went on it felt a little slow and repeated a lot as he bounced back and forth with will he or won't he. The romance is directly tied to his story and these two characters, because of their back stories, really struggle to make a choice, which wasn't my cup of tea. That said, the ending brought together a very satisfying conclusion that ties everything up, addresses Lark's past, and offers a glimpse at a future that looks sweet.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this arc!

Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin/Putnam, and Ivy for the arc of Morbidly Yours.

Releases: August 20, 2024.

This was an incredible book! I love the cover of the book, the synopsis, the buildup of the story, all of it was so strong, and for a debut novel I was blown away. Unfortunately, a little more than midway through, I started to get bored as I thought some plots got a bit dragged on. However, I adored Ivy's writing, and pairing up a widow and an undertaker had me incredibly hooked, the grief in this book, the character arcs, all of it truly was heavy but beautifully written. I am excited for book two in the series, and if it's who I'm assuming it is about, then I am so ready to read more of her work!

Lark suffers many losses in Texas - her husband, her best friend, her job...so she takes a contract working for an animation company in Ireland. She meets her neighbor, Callum, who is a mortician. Lark had made a promise to herself that she wouldn't be in a committed relationship because she feels responsible for what happened to her husband. Lark was self aware enough to know that she was giving Callum mixed signals but it did get annoying. Overall, the story was good.

Lark moves to Galway for a job after her husband is killed in a car crash. Unbeknownst to her, her rental is next door to a funeral home. Callum the mortician next door must marry or loose the funeral home that has been in his family for years. They befriend each other and Lark agrees to help the him with his dating life. All of the characters were great and even though the 2 main characters had to deal with grief this book was funny. This was a great Rom-com.

4.5 stars rounded up

This book was everything I wanted after reading the descriptions and seeing this adorable cover. This is a contemporary adult romance, it has multiple perspectives with slow burn build up and opposite attract, and grumpy/ sunshine trope. I thought that this was going to have a seriously spooky vibe with the MMC being a mortician, but it had just the right amount to be a great read during fall and spooky season. It does have a focus more on grief and loss rather than the gross graphic aspects of the job. Lark was the complete opposite of Callum, fun, bright and optimistic, even after dealing with some tough stuff. I loved her job in animation, it was so fascinating and added a unique element. They were so great together, bringing out the best in each other, supporting and pushing each other a little out of their comfort zone. It led to some hilarious moments. It was just a slow well-developed relationship, and I enjoyed the journey. Finally, the setting being in Ireland was fantastic. With a small, close village and the sightseeing it had some great descriptions. I had the best time reading this book.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Callum would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. So it’s out of the mortuary and into the dating scene. Lark would rather get crushed by a falling anvil than stay next to a funeral home during her stay in Galway, Ireland. The cartoon creator and animator came here to embrace life, not be reminded of losing her husband. Little do they know that, they're in for a ride of a lifetime.

This book is what I'd call a "soft boy romance." Not only that, it was exhilarating, unique, fresh, fun, & satisfying to read!

Callum & Lark two opposites who found themselves to be each others' neighbors. I loved how they became extremely good friends first! Their banter and relationship were too pure. And the chemistry was so GOOD.

Contrary to the blurb, the marriage of convenience storyline doesn't rush the plot. I really enjoyed the steadiness of their relationship.

The subplot involved one or two evil people who will make your blood boil. And I think part me thought the office drama went along for too long. Otherwise this book was a beautiful surprise for me.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Comment

Morbidly yours follows the story of Lark, who moved to Ireland for a temporary job as a way to cope with her grief. She doesn’t want anything to do with death, but ends up living right beside a mortuary house and befriending Callum, the undertaker.

Callum is wonderful and everything precious we love when woman write man characters.

The romance was quite nice! Lark infuses Callum with life and joy, and he gives her the support and companionship she needed to start healing. We see their friendship blossom to love, and it is beautiful.

The sex scenes were very well written! They were sexy, tasteful, and probably some of the best I’ve read in contemporary romance. Callum stutters and this issue is treated with care.

The third act conflict was awful! I’m still suffering on behalf of Callum who is too forgiving. I still enjoyed the story as a whole though.

Definitely recommended for contemporary romance readers

4.5 STARS

“Grief had been my stowaway across the pond.”

After a heartbreaking tragedy, Lark Thompson decides to leave her home in Austin, TX and take an art director position at a company in Galway, Ireland. Looking to start her life over, she never expects to form a friendship with Callum Flannelly, the undertaker who lives next door.

Callum is handsome, sweet and shy, more accustomed and more comfortable being around the deceased. Lark is the opposite, she is outgoing and talkative and full of life and color. However, she has vowed to stay unattached for fear of repeating the regrets that have brought her to Ireland.

“Everything changes in this world. Not always for the worse. Wounds heal, if you let them.”

Callum and Lark’s friendship does more than provide companionship. It starts to heal them both in their own ways. Callum learns that even though he is surrounded by death, he has so much living to do. And Lark learns the importance of moving through life being brave and honest and not scared to open her heart.

“We show the people we love the ugliest parts of ourselves, and we tell them the truth even when it hurts, because that’s what intimacy is.”

I love the journey of this relationship. It is so sweet and tender as both these characters open up to one another. I adored the secondary characters, especially Maeve who provided such profound insight to life and love. I also loved all the Irish words used in this book (even the spicy ones!) Callum speaking these words to Lark was total SWOON.

This friends to lovers debut romance is beautifully written with diverse characters, profound topics and poignant moments that touched my heart. I loved this story.

“Feeling seen was as unnerving as it was comforting. A freaking emotional paradox.”

Many thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was super excited for the concept of this book. As someone who has previously worked with funeral homes, I found the idea of a romance between a morgue owner and an animator cute and interesting. I was, unfortunately, really disappointed instead. I struggled reading this, to the point where it has taken me several months to get through. Here are my likes and dislikes.
Likes:
-I liked the Ireland setting and the Texas girl learning a new way of life and a whole new culture.
-I liked the asexuality and disability rep! I loved that Callum was very awkward and shy and learning to navigate his feelings for Lark as someone who found it a struggle to be sexually interested in other people.
-I liked the Gaelic language (and the glossary of translations included!).
-I loved Deirdre! I also loved that fact that she was willing to marry Cal in order to help him keep the funeral home.
-I liked that Séan got a well-deserved canning at the end, although he felt a little too "workplace villain"-y throughout the book.

Dislikes:
-Lark's entire personality felt like it hinged on being the "cute and quirky!" girl, and it felt incredibly over the top, especially in the beginning of the book.
-Lark needed therapy!!! Not a move to Ireland, she needed serious therapy to help process what happened to her husband and the way she felt responsible for it.
-Normally, I like miscommunication in books. Unfortunately, Lark refusing to admit that her husband was deceased and that she had trauma from her last marriage and that being the main reason she couldn't let herself fall for Cal was more frustrating and upsetting.
-The switch from "no we can't be involved" to "I want to see if I can get him to sleep with me" felt like it happened really quickly with no serious character development shown on page.

Overall, as a reader, I could tell that this book had been previously self-published. It felt like it needed another round or two of developmental edits and some help to flesh out the characters more. Most of the time, they all felt very 2-dimensional or like caricatures of characters. I think the idea is really fun and Cal and Lark had a lot of good tension and interactions, but it needs a little more work, in my own personal opinion. Also, on the mobile version, the book is over 300 pages, and it just felt like it was dragging without anything of any major importance happening. I'm sure it'll find its audience, but sadly just wasn't the best read for me.

READ THROUGH NETGALLEY. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. This story was cute and I liked the characters, but I wasn’t drawn in and obsessed with it as I can get with books I really like sometimes. I wasn’t thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. I wasn’t reading it and feeling things because of what the characters were saying or doing. I was just enjoying the story and enjoying seeing where it went and how it turned out. I did feel really bad for Lark because of Sean and it was just like come on you have to report him and also don’t be naïve he was obviously going to steal your ideas for his pitch. Also you don’t have to swear off love because you loved someone badly, people change. She did figure it out though.

3.5

Cute story- I enjoyed the premise! It was a nice mix of funny and sentimental.

Some of the pieces felt a tad underdeveloped, like the side plots with Rachel and Sean.

But still, this was an enjoyable, quick read.

I loved this quirky romantic comedy featuring a hot Irish undertaker on the ACE spectrum. The banter was spot on, and I adore nerdy groan worthy puns. The setting in Galway and use of Irish language throughout was delightful. The aspects of grief were handled with care.

Just be careful when reading the ebook… immediately after the puffin scene my social media feeds have been flooded with our little bright beaked feathered friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is a poignant and heartfelt love story. Readers will alternately find themselves laughing and crying as they get to know Callum and Lark. They are two broken people who find little bits of joy in each other and the things around them that lead to the beginning of healing. The author does a magnificent job of dealing with subjects that could otherwise be off putting for readers. Instead it becomes an uplifting and rewarding story to read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This is my first book by this author. It started off strong, but the middle definitely dragged on for me. I feel this was a classic case of miscommunication. Lark doesn't know how Callum feels and vice versa because no one talks to each other! About 80 percent in it picked up again, and I loved the ending. Lark receiving closure after years of not feeling worthy was nice to read. 3/5 for me.

This book was amazing. Such a poignant tale about love, loss, grief, and leaning to be able to trust and be vulnerable again. This book is for lovers of PS I Love You and The Dead Romantics. You wouldn’t think you could make a romance about an animator and a mortician work, but damn was it ✨chefs kiss✨. HIGHLY recommend!

Obsessed and blown away!

Now it is no secret that I love a good romance and some good doses of Ireland, but this book was the perfect combination of the two! There wasn't a moment where I wasn't enjoying this story. From beginning to end, I loved every single moment this book had to offer.

This book was so unlike a lot of the romances I tend to read. The sensitive subject matter was handled so delicately and thoughtfully. I appreciated how well they were handled throughout this book. The characters had me obsessed! Lark and Callum equally stole my heart. They were just such a beautiful pairing. The romance itself was also so beautifully written. Grief is such a delicate topic, but it was woven into this romance so beautifully. This book made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. The spice was also a pleasant surprise as well. I thought it added to this story without taking away from the difficult topics at play. The Irish dirty talk was bonus points though for sure!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can't think of a single moment that I didn't enjoy or like about it. I thought the pacing worked really well, and the story flowed seamlessly from beginning to end. I would recommend looking up the possible triggers before reading because this book does handle sensitive topics throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to be reminded what love can look and feel like. Perfect romance read!

I would like to give a huge thank you to Putnam, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Rating: 5/5