MORBIDLY YOURS by Ivy Fairbanks was practically lab created for my interests. A romance novel with a socially uncomfortable demisexual undertaker? Yes please!

Irish funeral home director Callum needs a wife for classic inheritance-related reasons, but (trope subvertingly!) he wants to find a wife for real, NOT just convenience. And as drawn as he is to his new American neighbor, Lark, she has vowed to Never Love Again. As they go from strangers to friends to lovers, they both have to learn how to support each other and step outside their comfort zones.

It was really a delight. The development of their relationship, the setting, the Duolingo lesson of spicy terms (Do-her-lingo??), a villain who gets his comeuppance...it was a lot of fun, and a perfect read for cranking up the a/c, donning a cardigan, and pretending you're in Ireland. (Sorry, I'm just really over the Arizona summer 😭)

5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for giving me access to the eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I. Loved. This. Where to begin? First off, one of our main characters is a tall demisexual man who happens to be an undertaker. I fell in love with Callum from the very beginning. His dry humor and wit had me, and what kept me going was his heart. He had me in tears with some of the things he said to Lark. I also felt they represented demisexuality well, though I am not demisexual myself so take that with a grain of salt.

I could relate so much to Lark it was eerie. While I don't have her life experiences, I understood her mind and why she thought and did the things she did. I like that the author shows you the flaws of the characters as well, because it's unrealistic for them all to be perfect.

The author also did a fantastic job explaining grief in its complexities, and how grief of a loved one passing isn't the only grief that can be felt. This book helped me learn my own lessons in grief and understanding my own grief better.

Overall, I genuinely recommend this book to romantic dramedy lovers.

Morbidly Yours is a fun, escapist romance featuring likable characters, dashes of Irish culture and language, with a slow-burn plot blended with a touch of spice, and a gentle exploration of demisexuality, grief, and self-growth. It's the perfect read for a rainy Sunday afternoon as we transition into fall weather—or for those last late-summer vacations, enjoying the final days on the deck or by the pool!

Thank you to Putnam for the review copy. This debut novel is an impressive slow-burn romance that has everything I love in a light, fun escape: strong chemistry, a gradual buildup (not insta-love or lust, which isn't my thing), engaging characters with interesting and developed backstories (though I wouldn’t mind a bit more character development for Callum), and charming small-town vibes with fun secondary characters.

One element I didn’t fully love was the "he has to get married by this age" theme. It’s hard for me to imagine someone making that a requirement in a will with such a short timeline, but I was willing to go with it for the sake of a fun escape. If this theme isn't your favorite either, don’t worry—it’s not a dominant presence in the book. Instead, it serves as a springboard for the more developed story and romance, bringing the two characters together as friends and allowing for deeper exploration of relationships, dating, and sexual identity.

I also appreciated the development of Lark’s backstory, her grief, and her professional identity. I’m drawn to romance novels that give characters depth, revealing various aspects of their identity and relationships. Fairbanks does this nicely, particularly in exploring the creative arts space where Lark works and the conflicts she faces there.

Finally, I loved the Irish setting and the use of language and cultural background. Having studied Irish in college, it was a delight to revisit that. I especially appreciated the early explanation that the language is Irish, not Gaelic, as well as the inclusion of a dictionary and a link to a more extensive one online. This added depth to the setting and culture, a feature not often seen in romance novels.

『Writing:』5/5
『Spice:』4.5/5
『Tension:』4/5
『Sad:』4/5
『Funny:』4/5
『Overall:』5/5

'*•.¸♡ read this if you like ♡¸.•*'<br>
❥ slow burn, “GET TOGETHER ALREADY” moments
❥ mortician introvert vs animator extrovert
❥ dirty Irish phrases

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : I’m Gonna Be - The Proclaimers

｡･ﾟﾟ･Quick Plot･ﾟﾟ･｡
Lark is ready to get out of dodge after Reese passes away. In the heat of the moment, her SIL blames her for Reese’s death and Lark effectively loses everything, including the job she’s passionate about. After accepting a job in Ireland at an up and coming animation studio, moving in next door to the oddest bed and breakfast she’s ever seen, and meeting the proprietor- will Lark let herself love again? Or will she keep the promise she made to Reese when she was at her lowest?

*+:｡.｡　Characters　｡.｡:+*
Lark- passionate. Outgoing. Very extroverted, but hates confrontation.
Callum - quiet. Stutters. Introverted. Demisexual.

❣ Quotes❣
• “I’m the human equivalent of loose glitter.” She pretended to sprinkle some around me, like a possessive pixie.
• I gathered myself instantly. “Food critic says?” She spit out some wool fibers. “Bitter. Dry. Needs a splash of hot sauce.”
•“I just remembered: the French term for orgasm is la petite mort. How appropriate.” “That’s actually what I named my ****. The Little Death,” I joked between kisses.

'*•.¸♡ things I liked ♡¸.•*'
I loved the personalities of the MCs so much! I honestly saw huge parts of myself in both of them. It was relatable and quirky. The emotions! Oh god the emotions. I had to close out of the book and sob for a bit during one part. The characters and settings felt so real. Ivy did an amazing job.

→ things I didn't like ←
Does the fact I read the last page and now it’s over count?


︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶Summary︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
I would absolutely recommend Morbidly Yours to people! It was easy to follow along, the plot was paced perfectly, and I loved the story in and of itself.

Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to have the book in exchange for my honest opinions.

What a wonderful, cozy read, with dark (at times) humor and joy. A slow burn with a dirty talking Irishman, Morbidly Yours was exactly what I needed in my life. It was a relatively low-stakes romance and yet I was tied to Callum, Lark, and their journey to reconcile a perceived sense of self with how they were viewed by others. Can two things be true at once? Of course it can! This book puts grief front and center as part of life - which it is, much to my chagrin - but never gets too heavy. I was apprehensive at first, as the book is full of favorite tropes, that it would be too cliche, but Fairbanks walks the line PERFECTLY. Tropes become tropes for a reason, yes, and I was happy to see that Lark and Callum were never caricatures. It was such a sweet book that left me feeling warm and happy. Allegedly it's the first in a series? Can't wait for the rest!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A peppy but recently widowed animator and an introverted undertaker find love when she moves in next door to the family business in Galway, Ireland. She adds colour to his solitary life. He helps her work through her grief and the guilt connected with it. In turns sweet, sentimental, and steamy, Fairbanks builds a layered relationship between her leads over the course of eight months as the duo explores area landmarks, as he half-heartedly tries to find a wife to meet the terms of his grandfather’s will, and as she works on an animated film with a particularly challenging work dynamic. The setting is brought to life in lovely ways, and the thoughtful details Fairbanks sprinkles through the story add meaning to some of the simplest moments, from a bowl of popcorn to an inherited moped to an escaped mouse. It's easy to see why this one has been such a big hit with readers, full of passionate feelings and powerful physical attraction between the lovers, told with humour and heart.

Slow burn
Demi rep
Grumpy/sunshine
Dual POV
MMC has a stutter
Slow burn

Rating: 3.5/5 - this probably isn't a book that I would reread but I will definitely recommend it
🌶️: 3/5 - there were a handful of explicit intimate scenes
🎃: 0/5 - he's a mortician but this is not a spooky season book

TLDR: Delightful rom com with immaculate grumpy/sunshine vibes that has fun but still addresses some heavy themes

This is a really delightful book. I would put it in the rom com category but it definitely had some intense themes of grief and isolation. Was I once again convinced that a story featuring a mortuary wouldn't make me cry? Yes. Was I proven wrong yet again? Also yes. There are some moments of fairly detailed descriptions of the embalming process. It confirmed that I want to be cremated. I wouldn't let it deter you from the book because they really are few and far between. I loved the way the relationship built over time. The time jumps between adorable moments really helped cement that this wasn't an insta-love or even insta-lust story. They were friends first and I just love that. Really solid grumpy/sunshine vibes. My one complaint is not being on the same page about wanting kids. Even fictional relationships can't get past that one... You would never know this was written by a debut author. Really solid writing. Ultimately I would recommend this book to any rom com reader who is comfortable with medium spice.

After moving from Texas to Galway, Lark accidentally opens a box addressed to her neighbor containing body bags. Despite the odd start, and Callum's extreme introversion and social anxiety, Lark and Callum become good friends. When Callum confesses he has to get married to save his family's mortuary business, Lark sets herself to finding his perfect match. What she doesn't realize (and doesn't WANT to realize) is he's already found his perfect match in Lark. Now he just has to convincer her he means. it.

This was a delightful, quirky little book. I really enjoyed the setting (Galway is one of my favorite places in Ireland) and Cal and Lark's relationship was so adorable and fun. The beginning felt forced/rushed, but once you get past that, Ivy Fairbanks hits her writing groove and the story is extremely engaging. I'm looking forward to more books from this author!

📚ARC Review 📚

Morbidly Yours ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Needing a fresh start, Lark moves to Galloway, Ireland leaving her hometown in Texas behind. While unpacking her stuff, she opens a package full of body bags labeled to the house across the street. Knowing this must be a joke, she takes them over to her neighbor only to find out what she thought was an Inn is actually a funeral home.
Callum, the owner, is very much an introvert and Lark is not. She’s determined to make him a friend and when she finds out he's in danger of losing the funeral home unless he can marry before his next birthday, she makes it her mission to help.


I absolutely loved this book! I found both characters great in their own ways and their banter was so funny. The way Lark helped Callum come out of his shell and the way he helped her see her value, was so enjoyable to read. I liked the slow burn and how they built their friendship first. This did have spicy sense, so you’ve been warned, but you can easily skip over them without missing anything really. I loved the Dolly Parton mentions throughout the book! It was such a great quirky romcom.

This book will release on August 20, 2024. Be sure to add it to your TBR list! Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

"Morbidly Yours" was such a wonderful read, and I can't wait to see what else Fairbanks writes. I was expecting a cute, grumpy-sunshine romance set in Ireland that was potentially thinly veiled Hozier fan-fiction, but this was so much more.

I adored both Callum and Lark and how they helped each other with their individual roadblocks, whether it was grief, fears, or workplace harassment. I also loved the speech impediment and demisexuality representation in this book. I thought that Callum's unique relationship with death as an undertaker was a wonderful way to explore Lark's grief after the death of her husband.

I really don't have anything negative to say about this book. My only potential critique is that I wish Lark rekindling her relationship with her sister in law happened in the book rather than the epilogue. I thought that would have been something really interesting to explore more.

5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lark moves to Galloway looking for a fresh start and meets Callum. She goes out of her way to avoid cemeteries but ends up living next to Callum's funeral home, which he's in danger of losing unless he can marry before his next birthday. The two couldn't be more opposite, yet they strike up an unlikely-and strong-friendship. When friendship leads to something more, will Callum continue his quest to find a wife, or take a risk on true love?

Read if you like:
-Friends to Lovers
-Opposites Attract
-Crazy Dates
-Mental Health/Grief Process Rep
-Demisexual Rep

I really enjoyed this book. Friends to Lovers is my favorite trope and Morbidly Yours delivered. Callum and Lark's slow and steady journey from acquaintances to friends to hopelessly in love was so satisfying. And Callum's dating experience as a demi was so amazing to read! We need more books like this. The best part of the book was their dedication to each other; the way they would do anything to help.

4.5 stars!

This was an adorable rom-com that had a typical grumpy x sunshine trope, but with a lot of heart. Callum and Lark had a sweet connection and watching them develop across the pages was really fun to read. Adding in their grief and mental health struggles, these two were complex and needed to learn to trust in love and one another before they could make a commitment.

I absolutely loved reading this one and think everyone should check it out!

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This checked all the boxes for me. It was the perfect rom-com. It had me giggling from the very beginning. It had the perfect balance of dark, spicy, and funny.

Check the trigger warnings before reading!

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc

I loved it plain and simple. Sometimes when you read a title as ridiculous as "Morbidly Yours" you don't want to engage in it as you fear it might be way beyond the realm of a good romcom. Lark having moved away from her hometown in Texas escaping the death of her husband only to move in right next door to a sexy undertaker is the perfect amount of silly divine intervention that makes a romcom like this work. The chemistry between Callum and Lark was sparking from the first page that they met and continued to grow stronger through the book.
The entire book I found myself cheering for them to work and for the two of them to realize that the answers to both of their problems had just moved in next door. I was waiting for the fall of Sean the entire time, truly quite the workplace villain and done well i might add. This was my first time reading a book by Ivy Fairbanks and i truly cannot wait to read more from her! Her characters while at times presenting the tropes of romcom characters felt personable and realistic to the modern day.

DNF ): had to give one star. The big inning was just too quick to jump in to it and Lark was weird. I unfortunately couldn’t get too far in to it because I was just not vining with the story.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was super cute. I wasn't expecting to read a book with some demisexual representation but it was interesting to see.

The main thing that I enjoyed in this book was seeing how both character's changed once they met each other. Normally you just see a FMC go through a journey but this one had both characters going through something.

A lot to like, yet needed another pass for it to feel fully polished. Lark and Callum are good main characters, and the setup of them meeting due to a mistaken delivery of body bags is amusing and sets up their early connection as both neighbors and friends. Callum is not your standard romance lead between his extreme shyness and demisexuality, and the story does a nice job of covering this and coaxing him out of his shell through his interactions with Lark. I would have preferred more showing rather than telling with regard to their growing attraction toward each other, and Callum's profession as a mortician is not explored enough; it could have provided an interesting avenue for Lark to share her identity as a widow much earlier instead of choosing to keep it a secret for so long. The plot of Callum having to marry someone to keep the family business ended up being a little silly and I didn't love Lark encouraging him to date so late in the book despite acknowledging having romantic feelings for him. The pacing feels far too slow at times, making this take longer to finish than expected. I did appreciate all of the Irish terminology included as well as the multiple pronunciation and translation guides.

Honestly, I could not get into this one, it just was not my cup of tea... I felt the storyline was a bit odd and too much to fully get into.

This book was the perfect example of a cozy read. I wish I had read this during fall weather honestly.

I love when a stipulation of a will is for someone to get married. It’s like a nice little push for someone. MMC is going to close his funeral home if he doesn’t meet the stipulation. Irish MMC is to die for. I mea his accent in my mind was just amazing. As someone who has a stuttering family member I applaud this author for having this so amazingly.

FMC is a widow. Which makes her not really looking for love and she makes it her mission to find him a wife. Friends to lovers. And eventually she helps him fulfill the stipulation.

Only issue I had was the third act conflict just felt out of place. Almost like this could have been a no 3rd act issue book.

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is a grumpy sunshine romance and the story of Lark and Callum.
 
Lark is from America, and she wants to start over and gets a work opportunity in Ireland and she takes it. I loved the Irish setting and seeing more of the language and culture. Lark is a very joyous and kind person who works as an animation art director and that was such a cool job. I immediately liked her, and she made it very easy for me to immediately dive into the story.
 
Callum was born and raised in Ireland, and he continues the family business of operating a funeral home. That was such a unique job as well and many would be taken aback by it, but he approaches this from a very respectful angle. The book also deals with grief, and I really liked how that was shown. Callum is very closed off and grumpy at first, but he feels a connection to Lark and slowly opens up more and becomes such a swoonworthy cinnamon roll hero.
 
This romance is very heartfelt and sweet, and I really liked it. From their first iconic meeting to them being together was such a great journey. Lark has sworn off love while Callum needs to be married by 35 and that added such good tension. The story also has a good sense of humor, and I liked the dialogues as well.
 
Overall, Morbidly Yours is a very unique romcom and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)