I admit I was a little nervous about this one. I just lost both my parents and the author’s note gave me pause. But I’m glad I didn’t let it stop me. I fell in love with Callum immediately! His dry sense of humor had me giggling the whole book. Lark took some warming up to, but I got there eventually. This book took me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. But the spice oh the spice! I will definitely be recommending this book.

*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*

When Lark Thompson moves to Galway for a new job in animation and to escape her guilt and grief, the last place she expected to live next to was a funeral home. Callum Flannely, the charming undertaker next door, has just months to get married in order to keep his family business.

When body bags are accidentally delivered to Lark’s new apartment, she meets Callum, and she embarks on an adventure in becoming his friend and helping him find love. This is the perfect grumpy sunshine & friends to lovers story, and I absolutely loved it!

I picked this one up originally because it sounded too weird to be good. But boy was I surprised. It was so unique and quirky that I couldn’t put it down. Lark is running from her home in Texas to start over after the loss of her husband. When she falls for the handsome mortician next door, everything falls into place. Callum and Lark are the definition of opposites attract but so perfect. I died laughing page after page and the way Lark learns Gaeilge 🤤 IYKYK. Ireland has always been on my must visit list and I think after reading this, it jumped up a few spots.

4.5 ⭐️

Opposites attract: bubbly, outgoing Texas girl moves to Ireland and meets ultra reserved, pessimistic Irish boy. I enjoyed their character premise, their banter, and their on page journey together and as individuals. I equally valued both main characters in this one. I think would make for a perfect spooky season read for romance readers that like to flirt with spooky but diving all in isn’t for them (he’s a mortician and death is a prominent theme - real life situations).

Thank you NetGalley, Ivy Fairbanks, and Putnam Books for this eARC.

Callum has been one of my favorite leading men to read in a long time. I love the balance of the relationship, how even when confident he didn't lose what made him endearing.

I think Lark being from Texas was a bit of a random move -- I think it could have been any generic US city and it would have worked, functionally, the same. If that was intended to be a bigger difference between the two characters, it didn't really reflect in the writing.

Overall, though, I truly loved the vibes and found myself not wanting to put it down.

Lark Thompson moved to Galway, Ireland for her new job. She wants to start over after the loss of her husband. Callum Flannelly has to try and save his grandfathers funeral home after his grandfather passed away. When Lark moves in next door and hears of Callum’s situation, she does what she can to help. What neither of them expected, was to fall for each other. I was drawn to this book by the summary, not everyday you read about a mortician romance. However, it was so good!!! Lark became the light in Callum’s dark life. It truly was a good example of opposites attract. I truly enjoyed the epilogue as well, some closure was needed for sure. I also saw some foreshadowing for another couple and I cannot wait for that!! Overall, I really liked this book. It was so unique with it’s story and so real when it comes to life after loss. Ivy, you did a wonderous job!

If you are anything like me and were ruined by Elliot Bloom in Forget Me Not, then I have very good news for you: Callum Flannery from Morbidly Yours delivers Elliot Bloom vibes. And he’s Irish. And a mortician.

I have your attention now, right?

So in addition to a grumpy yet soft leading man, Morbidly Yours serves up a very realistic romance between Lark, an animator from Texas who moves to Galway to helm the art direction of a short film after the death of her husband, and Callum, the brooding mortician across the street who might lose the family business if he doesn’t get married soon.

But this actually isn’t a marriage of convenience story. Instead, it’s a slow-burning, character-driven story about how two very opposite people can find each other, even when the timing is all wrong and everything is extremely complicated.

Though I was a little on the rocks about this book for about the first 25% (Lark was a little *too* sunshine-y for me, at first), once everything clicked into place for me, I knew I’d love this.

Morbidly Yours is tender and darkly funny and shockingly realistic (also: Ivy Fairbanks brings *a lot* of knowledge about both mortuary science and animation to the page, and the details about each character’s work are really impressive) and so hot omg, and ultimately, I really, really enjoyed this one.

It’s a perfect addition to your autumn TBR – because who doesn’t want a tall, broad, black Henley-wearing, piano playing mortician for a book boyfriend?

Thank you to Putnam for granting me the opportunity to read this ARC! This book is the penultimate definition of golden retriever girlfriend and black cat boyfriend, except imagine the golden retriever is a bubbly, blonde Texan and the black cat is an honest to god Irish undertaker. As you can imagine, I was sold before even starting.

Callum stole my heart almost immediately. Maybe it was the wistful way her looked at Lark, maybe it was the dedication to his craft and family's legacy. Maybe it was even the stutter, but reading him gave me the same emotional reaction as finding a lost puppy in a rainstorm that just needs a little care and attention. "Let me take care of you!!!" I wanted to scream.

My first impression of Lark leaned a little manic-pixie-dream-girl, but I am happy to report that she, too, won me over. She is less MPDG and more relentlessly upbeat in the face of her own trauma. I can admit that my hesitancy to connect to her probably stemmed by my own jealousy over bubbly, upbeat people. I know this is a good book because by the end of it I came to this conclusion about myself!

As much as I came to lover each character in their own right, together they are perfection. Lark is absolutely a shining light for Callum, however, I think that this book does a great job of not putting the pressure of one character's happiness on another. She is a beacon for him in some ways, but he is her rock in others. They encourage each other in healthy ways that don't become unhealthily dependent.

If you are looking for a contemporary romance with just the perfect smidgeon of dark humor, look no further. I look forward to reading more of Ivy Fairbanks in the future!

I truly loved this book, and it is definitely in my top summer reads! I loved the setting in Galway City, and I am excited that it’s a series!

Lark and Callum were so great together and I am so glad they found their way to one another. They really balanced each other out, and each had backstories that made my heart hurt for them!

While I was starting to get frustrated by their slow burn, it was scorching once they finally got together! I felt really satisfied by their story and would totally read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance read!

I'm not super sure what I expected but I do love romances where the jobs are kind of odd. I really liked Callum as a character though maybe some more discussion about being ACE would have made some sense? Lark had obviously been through a lot and I liked the plot of her moving through her guilt. Loved the slow burn, friends with benefits tropes too.

It all started with a box full of body bags...

...and ended with a cute Irish love story involving finding love after grief and demisexual representation. AND included a Gaelic phrase that I have tattooed on my ribs (you'll have to read this to guess!). This is a fantastic debut!

spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Morbidly Yours* by Ivy Fairbanks is a delightful re-release that I’m glad I didn’t pass up. This spicy yet sweet romance is not only fun to read but also refreshingly unique. The male main character's stutter is a standout aspect, bringing attention to a real-life challenge that is often overlooked in books and movies. Fairbanks strikes a perfect balance between romance and representation, making this novel a must-read for fans of heartfelt love stories with a twist.

Lark Thompson moved to Ireland for a 9 month stay. Lark is an energetic and outgoing person.
Callum Flannelly worked in a funeral home and is very shy. When Lark opens a package that was meant for the funeral home next door, she is a little struck to find body bags. Lark and Callum meet with many awkward interactions.

Lark learns that Callum got the funeral home on the stipulation that he would be married by 35. So Lark and Callum go on the hunt to find him a wife.

Morbidly Yours is a good light and fluffy read. Great tension and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s start with the fact that this is Ivy Fairbanks’ DEBUT!? To be able to balance light and dark at this level is such a gift! I cannot wait to see what she does next!

The characters here are as complex as they are lovable. Lark feels like a best friend you know has been through something awful and you just want to help her but you don’t know how. Callum..kind, introverted is the definition of “it’s always the quiet ones.” This book even made me care about a pet mouse, y’all.

And the romance!? Watching the tension ratchet up week by week was an utter joy to read. To see these charming people be loved for exactly who they are, where they are in their life. Not to mention the spice..I can guarantee I’ll be thinking about the Gaelic lessons scene for the rest of my life.

I’m obsessed! I’ll be yapping for weeks about this one!

I DNF'd at 20%. I can already tell this one isn't for me.

Lark is a widow and Callum runs a funeral parlor in Galway. She's a manic pixie dream girl and he's socially awkward to the point of pain. She's moved to Ireland for a job and at this point the author has already so obviously set up the misogynistic bad guy at Lark's job that I'm already secondhand embarrassed for whatever confrontation is going to happen.

The premise is so, so cute, and I think there could have been a point in time that I'd sit through the whole thing, but right now I can tell this is too awkward for me to want to finish it.

Abby Jimenez said it right when she commented on this book- it is most definitely sweet spicy and fabulous! Such a cute rom-com with just the amount of added spice to it. A perfect book to read during spooky season if you’re looking for a sweet and spicy romance book!

MORBIDLY YOURS is a cozy romance set in galway, ireland, about a shy mortician and the larger-than-life animator escaping her past who moves in next door. it has its lighthearted moments while also dealing with heavier subjects like grief and workplace harassment. callum and lark are complete opposites, but their differences don't stop them from becoming friends and forming a connection. so when callum shares with lark that he needs to marry by 35 in order to keep his family undertaking business, she offers to help him find the one. but when more-than-friendly feelings start to surface between them, callum and lark struggle to ignore their mutual attraction to keep their focus on their objective.

this was such a great romance and i really loved how callum and lark's relationship developed from platonic to romantic. i also am very much a fan of the "just to get it out of our systems" micro trope and it was particularly good in this book. overall, i had a great time and i can't wait to see what fairbanks does next!

read if you like:
- demisexual rep
- opposites attract
- he falls first

thanks to netgalley and putnam for the advanced copy! MORBIDLY YOURS comes out august 20.

I loved this book. I really appreciated how the author handled the topic of grief. These characters felt comforting to read about-almost like friends. What a debut!!

Morbidly Yours is a cozy little romance read with a magnificent slow burn. At times I found myself screaming both at Callum and Lark wanting them to just put their big boy pants on and tell each other how they felt (which is exactly how I love my slow burns). This book covers the discussion of grief and isolation in a beautiful way and it never felt too heavy of a topic once. Overall, this book was a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend others to read this debut novel.

Rating 3.5/5

Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for an ARC of Morbidly Yours! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Ivy Fairbanks, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for an ARC of Morbidly Yours! All opinions are my own.

Morbidly Yours is a romance that has its sweet and lighthearted moments while also dealing with big issues - including death, grief, and isolation. I love when romance crosses the light-hearted, fluffy steps (don’t get me wrong, I love those too!) and delves into big feelings and life changes that everyone goes through at some point. It’s so lovely seeing a couple that feels real and authentic go through real and authentic challenges!

This book also had a lot of really great rep, including sexuality and neurodivergence. A fun and thoughtful read with enjoyable spice!

POV: dual third person

You can expect: mortician MMC, animator FMC, opposites attract, grumpy (him)/sunshine (her), forced proximity, friends to lovers, he falls first, shy MMC, “just once”/“let’s get it out of our systems”, widow FMC.

Rep: demisexual main, lesbian side, nonbinary side, grief, stuttering, social anxiety

Spice: 2/5

CW: discussions of embalming/caring for a body for funeral services, death of a spouse (past), fatal car accident (past), death of a friend to illness, death of a grandparent/parental figure, workplace harassment