Cielo and Aidan had a whirlwind romance that ended abruptly when he received the record deal of his dreams and she decided a long-distance relationship could never be for her. They haven't seen or spoken to each other since their breakup, and now they're forced to spend an unavoidable weekend together as the persons of honor at their best mate's wedding. Everything should go super well considering Aidan only seems capable of writing songs about his love for Cielo who has his artist profile blocked on Spotify because every lyric he writes shreds her soul.

I thought this was a really strong second novel from Ivy Fairbanks! While I didn't enjoy it *quite* as much as Morbidly Yours (which in any other book's defense is nearly impossible because Morbidly Yours was pretty perfect to me), I had a really hard time putting Heart Strings down. Aidan is basically Hozier with an even smooshier, marshmallowier filling. Lo is a bucket of trauma in a med student's body who, despite being an only child, emits eldest daughter energy. This made their banter really fun, lead to some bonkers situations, and paid off when they realized they owed it to themselves to give their relationship a second chance. It was equal parts tender, angsty, and steamy, had a delightful amount of cameos from my favorite characters in book one, and scattered just the right amount of crumbs for Saoirse's book (which I cannot even wait for)!

Thank you to Penguin Group for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

Absolutely obsessed with this book. Perfection. Beacon. Love love loved it so much. I need to go back and read the first book now. I’m obsessed with Ivy’s writing!

Ivy Fairbanks' writing continues to blow me away! I was so enamored by Morbidly Yours that I knew I wanted to read Heart Strings as soon as it was announced and I was not disappointed! This story follows Aiden and Cielo, a couple who by fear and physical distance ended their relationship almost as soon as it began. Second chance romances always have a special place in my heart and this one was no different! The way that Aiden showed up and proved to Lo that he wanted their relationship to work was so so special. I absolutely loved the setting of Lark and Callum's wedding and seeing them again was so much fun!! This book deals with tough topics that Ivy handled with such grace and I was definitely tearing up during the hard moments. I loved seeing a sneak of who the next book will be about and I'm already so excited to read it!!

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

I really really enjoyed this book. There was so much in this book that I absolutely loved starting with Aiden and Lo. I loved everything about the two of them I also loved Aiden's family and their antics with the ventriloquist doll, getting to see Callum and Lark's wedding and whole ending especially the parts with Saorsie and the true end, plus a whole lot more.

I can't wait for the next book in this series!

I mistakenly uploaded a review for another book in this space, luckily this is my current read so I will edit once completed. I apologize for the error on my behalf!

Heart Strings is a second chance romance that’ll make you laugh, shed a few tears, and give you butterflies.

The storyline is a precarious balancing act of feelings and emotions that had my heart in a chokehold. Lo and Aidan’s relationship is so beautifully fragile and their journey is a tough one. Can they find the courage to claim the happiness they both so desperately deserve?

This was a book full of so many feelings and of so much love. The dialogue is funny and heartfelt. The characters are fun-loving, endearing, and easily relatable. I smiled a lot while reading and couldn’t contain a few chuckles.

I know I’m mentioning love a lot, but that’s the best way I can describe Heart Strings. All the actions, all the drama, all the earth-shattering and heartwrenching things that happen in this book, are colored with love. Love of a parent. Love of a friend. Love of family. And a love so raw, it defies definition.

I am looking forward to the next book.

I was so happy to get a chance to read this book early, but I purposely saved it because I am going to Galway this week! Heart strings is a sequel to morbidly yours and it features Aiden and Lo getting a second chance at romance!. I really enjoyed how this book just jumped right into their love story. At this point, they’ve been broken up for two years because of their focus on their careers and their insecurity in their relationship. But they are forced to come back together as they are the best man/made of honor at the previous leads wedding. Also, sidenote, I loved one of sequel features the wedding of our previous couple. It’s so nice to check in with them! I really enjoyed this book. It was very sweet and romantic and here’s hoping for book 3!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Second Chance Supremacy - truly one of my favorite tropes and SO well done in this book.

Set two years after Morbidly Yours, Lark and Callum are finally getting married. Lo, Lark's cousin and a med student is her dedicated maid of honor and rising star and friend to Callum, Aiden is the designated best man. These two are forced to interact 2 years after breaking one another's hearts. What was supposed to be a 6 month fling turned out to be so much more. Lo, angry that Aidan didn't fight more, and Aidan missing his muse and love of his life circle one another as they help take care of wedding festivities. Enter in family dynamics and meddling friends, these two find that they cannot escape one another's orbit.

This book was so cute! A man down bad is always going to get me and you can tell Aiden LOVES Lo. He really does what he can to lift her up and show her worth. Aidan writes swoony songs about how much he loves her and is instantly inspired whenever she's around. Lo is so stressed, rightfully so as a med student, but also by trying to finally living her life after being sick as a kid. Aiden makes her feel free in a way that she never had before and she longs to have that feeling with him again. The tension between these two is so clear and their scenes together, phew.

It was so fun being back in Galway, I loved all of Lark and Callum's meddling. I cannot wait for the couple that is teased for the next book, I just know it's going to be a good one.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC. All thoughts are honest and my own.

some days, all I look forward to is climbing into bed because there’s a chance I might dream of you 🪕⁣
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I was so excited to read this one after really enjoying Morbidly Yours back in December and it lived up to all my hopes and expectations!!⁣
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Lo and Aiden were such an interesting dynamic, each one really struggling on a lot of fronts before you even started to unpack their broken history. I also really liked that the conflict in this book wasn’t surrounding the reason the called it quits in the past, second chance romance can be tough when you feel like it’s just a case of déjà vu. ⁣
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The way these two characters faced old worries and new challenges really worked for me. I also love seeing everything go wrong for our MCs at times 😂 there was so much chaos content from car troubles to an unexpected swim to hair malfunctions (full transparency no context spoiler, there’s a chapter on birds/attacking birds- I skipped the whole thing)⁣
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Every page was a lot of fun and a lot of swooning. Definitely add this to your list!

Cielo "Lo" Valdez, a cancer survivor, is now studying to become a doctor. She was in a relationship with Aidan O'Toole, who left Galway for England to pursue his music career. Now Aidan has returned home for a month and wants to rekindle their romance, but Lo isn't interested in giving him another chance. They're spending time together to help with their friends' upcoming wedding, and Aidan is determined to prove to her that she's the one for him.

Second chance spicy swoon.

Cielo is tough and resilient, until she’s forced to spend a full wedding weekend with her rockstar ex, Aidan. She thought she was over him and he knows she’s the only one for him. Lo must decide if she’s willing to give in to what could be total heartbreak and trust that someone can step in and take care of her too.

emotional, sweet, and fun romance that works really well and is really interesting. the plotting is good and the chars are fun, though at points Lo feels a little flat. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Heart Strings by Ivy Fairbanks is a touching and well-written romance that pulls at the emotions. The characters are relatable, and the pacing is good from beginning to end. While a few plot points felt similar to other books, the heartfelt moments and strong writing earn it a solid 4 out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Heart Strings, which is out in just a couple of weeks. My review for this one is going to be short and sweet. This one ate and left no crumbs. Absolutely 5/5 stars, 100% recommend! If this is not on your tbr for August, it needs to be!

Another cute one from Ivy Fairbanks! I wouldn’t say I connected to it quite as much as Morbidly Yours, but I loved that Callum & Lark’s wedding was a big part of it. This is the second book I’ve read recently with an Irish singer/songwriter as the love interest and I have to say I’m a big fan. I also love a second chance romance but in this case I think it could have used a little more of a build up/slow burn.

Lo’s illness gave the story an extra layer of emotion and seeing how it affected her relationships with the people in her life. Aiden was super caring and supportive while also dealing with his own struggles with the pressures of fame. Overall this was a super quick & cute read and I’m looking forward to (hopefully) more books in the series.

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

A romance based in Ireland so it was a bit difficult for me to get the hang of the linguistics but overall it was a fun read which revolved around talking after the heartbreak because he is the groom's best friend and she is the bride's cousin. He is a famous singer and she is working through her residency. I loved how there was banter but also understanding towards each other.

This was cute! Thank you Netgalley for the eArc. This is the sequel to Morbidly Yours which I’ll be reading this fall.

Set in Ireland, Cielo is a Med student from Texas and had met Aidan two years prior and fell in love but he was a rising rockstar and she believed they wouldn’t withstand that.

We have second chance romance and it was very sweet. Loved that it was set in Ireland 🇮🇪

4 hearts!

In real life, I don’t support exes getting back together. Aidan and Cielo, though? They are forever! This book was such a heartwarming story about two people finding their way back to each other. Cielo was determined to take care of everything herself and prove to everyone in her life that she has it all under control (relatable). Every child that had to grow up too fast can relate to her struggles. I loved that Aidan was able to see through the walls she tried to throw back up around him.

This story was spicy and sweet with great chemistry. Not just in their intimacy but in their friendship and support. They each learned to stand up for themselves in different arenas while being each other’s biggest support. It was such a heartwarming relationship. I highly recommend reading this book!

Alright, I’ll start with all the things I liked:

Setting- Galway with a touch of wedding vibes ✔️
Character representation ✔️
Opposites attract ✔️
MMC is a musician (swoon) ✔️
Spicy ✔️

Sadly, there were things that didn’t work for me (and it’s mostly personal preference!). For starters, I’m not a huge fan of second chance romances only because I have a hard time believing them, and I didn’t fully buy into this one. Secondly, this is the 2nd book in the Love in Galway series (but can be a standalone) and I found myself comparing it to its predecessor. Morbidly Yours was such a pleasant surprise for me, that I went into Heart Strings with high expectations and it fell short. There’s also a lot of trauma in this book that the FMC needs to work through, and that wasn’t explored enough throughout the book. There was a lot of potential here, but it fell a little short for me. Still looking forward to reading the next one! Thank you #NetGalley for my ARC of #HeartStrings

In Heart Strings, author Ivy Fairbanks crafts an enchanting second-chance romance set against the picturesque backdrop of Galway, Ireland. This delightful novel follows the story of Cielo and Aidan, whose paths cross again at a wedding reunion, leading to an engaging exploration of love, timing, and second chances.

The strength of this novel lies in its well-developed characters and compelling plot structure. Fairbanks demonstrates her storytelling prowess through authentic dialogue and rich character dynamics. While this book stands as the second installment in a series (following Morbidly Yours), it can be enjoyed as a standalone, though readers may find themselves eager to explore the previous book, which was my experience!

While the romance elements are generally well-executed, some intimate scenes may not appeal to all readers. However, this minor critique doesn't significantly detract from the overall charm of the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

Heart Strings releases on August 12, 2025 and comes recommended for readers who enjoy contemporary romance, particularly those with an affinity for Irish settings and wedding-themed reunions.