So I listened to Morbidly Yours as an audiobook and it was definitely deserved 5 star listen. With Heart Strings, I don’t know if it was the difference between reading and listening that gave it such a different vibe but it definitely didn’t hit me the same way. It was still a great story, but I feel like I got kind of dropped into the middle of Lo and Aiden’s love story and I was just playing catch up. In Morbidly Yours, we went from strangers to friends to lovers and it all felt so natural and evolved in a really stunning way and Heart Strings felt a little disjointed. I think once it releases on audiobook, I'm going to listen to it and then I’ll come back and re-review to see if anything changes.

Some things I loved- Soirse and the hints that she might be the next FMC. The Hooker Tour. The ventriloquist dummies. The spice was good but again, we didn’t have the tension we got with Callum and Lark that made it feel more satisfying. I did like having an FMC that would be considered a little “prickly” in contrast to Lark’s bubblegum personality. Grumpy girls deserve love, too.

All in all. It was a good read, I just wanted a little *more* after how much Morbidly Yours resonated with me.

Fairbanks did it again! Heart Strings is the perfect sequel to her debut, and I loved seeing familiar characters make a cameo. The second-chance story between Cielo and Aidan was full of tension and heartwarming moments, and I especially enjoyed the musical career aspect woven into the plot.

Thank you for the ARC—this was such a fun read!

Really cute follow-up book to Morbidly Yours. I loved Cielo and was so excited when I saw she was getting her own story. Sucker for a lovers to enemies to lovers again so I really enjoyed her and Aidan’s story. So cute.

I LOVEEEEEDDDD THIS!!!

something about ivy’s writing just feels comforting. i adored morbidly yours so im really not surprised that this took over my heart. lo was so relatable, i could feel her pain with her family/aiden. the glimpses of callum and lark were so excited also!!

thank you so much for this arc! i will most definitely be adding Heart Stings to my shelf as soon as it hits shelves!

3 stars.

I immediately request Heart Strings after loving Morbidly Yours by the same author. I could not get enough of the witty banter and eccentric characters. We meet the leads of Heart Strings in Morbidly Yours. I was interested in both of the leads of this book when they were side characters, however, I really didn’t care for their story. The chemistry between the two was meh, especially when compared to Callum and Lark. Overall, the book was fun enough to pass the time, but no where near as compelling/entertaining as the author’s debut.

I was very excited to get access to this one because I liked Morbidly Yours so much. This was good, but I wasn't as invested in the characters as I was for the first one. The characters both keep thinking about when they had been together before, but without flashbacks, I didn't feel the tension. It was good, but not quite what I wanted. 3.5⭐

I loved this book! I read Morbidly Yours and this book was such a great follow up to that original story! I did have a hard time connecting to Cielo and Aidan but I think that's because I was wishing we had had the chance to see some of their previous relationship in a flash back type of way? But other than that difficult connecting I did really really enjoy this story! I think everyone who loved the first one should try this!

i so badly wanted to love this book but it kind of fell short for me? i wasn't totally in love with the characters nor did i totally love the storyline. i kind of wish we got to see their relationship grow from the very start and maybe i would've felt more emotionally invested in their journey. this was an anticipated read for me and although i didn't entirely love this book from ivy, i will still read anything she puts out in the future(:

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!
I absolutely loved Morbidly Yours when it came out last year, and was so excited to read something new from Ivy. Unfortunately, this one just didn't strike well for me. It seems like some other readers have come to the same conclusions that I did. 
 
With this being a second-chance-romance, it was really difficult to connect to the main characters' relationship because we didn't get to see it unfold at all. They referenced their relationship and special moments they had plenty, but it just felt very surface-level from a reader's perspective. I think this really took away a lot of the buildup that usually makes romance novels so exciting. Instead of getting to watch them fall in love, it felt more like reading about them having the same conflict for the entire book. And on that note, the conflict itself just really did not make a lot of sense to me. It essentially boiled down to the FMC not being willing to try long-distance and, for some reason, being mad that the MMC respected her wishes?
 
Unfortunately I think I just could not connect to the FMC Cielo at all. She was very much the stressed-out-ice-queen archetype which already isn't typically my favorite, but she just really did not manage to redeem herself at all. It felt as though she was actively making all of her relationships difficult, especially with the MMC. Their chemistry just did not come across the pages for me. Because we didn't get to see them fall in love, I had a really hard time figuring out why Aiden had such strong feelings for her, when all she did was shut him out. 
 
Also yeah, that one spicy scene with the speaker just wasn't it for me. 
 
The ending was sweet, but I didn't love the "twist" of the third act (and it also just made me more frustrated with Cielo for being such a terrible communicator). 
 
From the hints in this book however, it sounds like we're building up to a third book with Saoirse and I actually DO already love her, so fingers crossed that one is a better fit for me personally!

I was so excited to receive the email that NetGalley approved this arc! Oh my gosh! I loved Morbidly Yours so much and HIGHLY recommend reading that first! This follows two characters from the book, Cielo and Aiden. You will laugh, you will cry and most importantly you will fall in love with these characters like I have 🥰

This was a cute novel! I really enjoyed Morbidly Yours and was so excited to read Cielo’s story in Heart Strings!


Cielo Valdez is a young American medical student studying in Ireland. Aidan O’Toole is an up and coming singer-songwriter from Galway whose music has been skyrocketing into popularity. Two years ago, the two fell in love and then broke up, leaving both broken hearted. The wedding of their two best friends, Callum and Lark (who is also Cielo’s cousin), forces the two to live under one (albeit large) roof for the duration of the wedding festivities. One look at Cielo and Aidan is a goner, reminded of all the love songs he wrote about her. Can he convince her to take a chance on him again?

Heart Strings was a fun second chance romance that had a lot of depth and heart. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Cielo and Aidan. The tension between the two was so palpable and I really appreciated the lengths Aidan went through to show his love for Cielo. I also loved Cielo’s character growth and how she learned to stick up for herself with her family (with Aidan’s support, of course).

I also loved all the cameos from Morbidly Yours and that we got to live out Callum and Lark’s wedding! It was so fun to see those characters get their happy ever after while Cielo and Aidan navigated theirs.

If you enjoyed Morbidly Yours, or if you are a fan of second chance romances with an endearing cast of characters and laugh out loud moments, then Heart Strings is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

I absolutely loooved Morbidly Yours so I was excited to see another book from Ivy Fairbanks and featuring a medical student no less!!
This is a second-chance romance, which is not usually my favorite trope, but this book has done it well. I think the conflict and the way its dealt with felt very real - we have a singer who is unapologetic about needing to pursue his dreams, but we also have Lo who feels abandoned and both sides feel fair to the reader and thus have emotional gravity. Also, a beautiful cover!! Ivy Fairbanks really does do a good job of injecting heart and soul into her characters - here's to hoping her books are discovered by more romance readers!

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin for the ARC!

I absolutely LOVED the first book, and was so excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of this one. The characters were typical Ivy Fairbanks loveliness, the romance was sweet and I loved their dynamic. The chemistry between these two is undeniable amplified by their lack of breakup closure, and even the miscommunication trope (or in this case, just lack of communication) has worked well in both books so far. Aidan is so sweet and I have yet to be disappointed by a MMC from this author!

The second chance dynamic spending 2 years apart after a 6 month whirlwind romance was a little hard to get into for me, and although I loved Lo’s strong independent personality, the smut tropes explored in this one were not my cup of tea. Lo is portrayed as this type A perfectionist with her ducks in a row but in reality she comes off as more of a control freak who doesn’t handle it well when things don’t go her way, which didn’t translate well as the reader waffling between the two POVs.

Overall I really enjoyed the storyline and it was a cute romance, and I cannot wait for Saoirse’s story next! ♡

3.75 rounded up!

i was so so excited for this book especially after reading morbidly yours last year! ivy fairbanks has such a way with writing that makes it feel effortless and completely sucks you in. (literally felt like i was in galway!!)

i really liked both the main characters in this. cielo is so incredibly strong and such an independent woman. i enjoyed seeing her growth as she lets more people into her life. she loves fiercely and falls deep (and holds a mean grudge). i really felt like i related to her and could get inside her head. aidan is so sweet! not only does he write songs about her (um swoonworthy!) but he also takes care of everyone around him.

i love a good second chance romance and had such a fun time with this one!

thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an ARC of this book!

As a huge fan of Ivy Fairbanks’ first book, I was beyond excited to read this book and even more over the moon to accepted to read the arc. However, I just don’t think I am the target market for this novel. I want to say first that the book, overall, was lovely. It had very fun moments and Lo and Aiden were a very cute take on the he falls first vibe / black cat and golden retriever. Yet, the main trope is second chance romance, which sometimes works but for me, it didn’t work in this one. A few reasons why:
1) I find it harder to believe the love that was lost was authentic after a 6 month “relationship” where she didn’t even tell her family about him.
2) When they did get back together, it was a lot quicker than I had assumed. I was expecting a lot of give and take but Lo, even tho she claimed to hate him, instantly fell back into his life and into a relationship with him after a long weekend? It feels very co-dependent.
3) Almost as fast as they got together, they were saying I love you.

I am not saying this type of love doesn’t happen, but it was just hard for me to enjoy seeing as second chance is on the bottom of my favorites list.

I will say, Ivy’s writing didn’t disappoint. She built a world and characters that are all very realistic from controlling moms, to silly siblings, to cousins who are more like sisters. I love this little Irish world and I was beyond happy to see a lot of Lark and Callum in this, even tho it wasn’t their story. Overall, three stars, just a cute average read.

I do want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC. All these thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I had an absolute blast with Ivy Fairbanks first book, Morbidly Yours, and her follow up was also lovely and entertaining! She managed to create two very real and complex characters. Although Aidan is a burgeoning celebrity, his relationship with Lo was vulnerable and real. I flew through this book during a time when I hadn’t been reading much romance, and for that I am very grateful!

Heart Strings, the second book in Ivy Fairbanks' Love in Galway series, is a delightful continuation of Aidan and Cielo's love story. Picking up after their initial fling, the book explores their journey of rekindling romance amidst personal and professional challenges. Aidan's determination to win back Lo, despite her guarded nature, is both touching and relatable. The story beautifully balances themes of trust, independence, and love, with Aidan's musical career adding a unique layer to the narrative. Fairbanks' writing captures the emotional depth of their relationship, making it a compelling read. I received this book as compensation for my review, and I highly recommend it to fans of heartfelt romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review!

The second installment of Love in Galloway was really good. The story follows Callum’s musician best friend Aidan and Lark’s med school cousin Cielo(or Lo). Aidan and Lo had a fling in the previous book, but at the start of this one they are no longer talking. The book follows Aidan trying to win back Lo and it deals with a lot of subjects which are listed in the book. I really enjoyed Aidan and Lo’s love story, I thought that Aidan was good with showing how he felt with Lo and building their trust back up. I really liked how the book handled topics of managing stress, dealing with parental oversight (especially when they are adults). I really loved the aspect of Aidan being a musician and seeing lyrics on the page. I desperately wish there was an EP I could listen to based on this story. I still love the first book more but this book was very sweet and I loved the two of them together. I just wish there was a little more pinning.

Review Heart Strings, the second book in Ivy Fairbanks’ Love in Galway series, is just as captivating as Morbidly Yours. This sequel follows Cielo (Lo) and Aiden, whose love story was introduced in the first book. Heart Strings presents a classic second chance at love trope executed exceptionally well.

After a two-year separation due to Aiden’s music career and Lo’s medical school and residency commitments, they find themselves reunited at Lark and Callum’s wedding. As they spend time together, they must confront their past and navigate the challenges of career and health.

While Heart Strings offers an open door to steamy scenes, readers who prefer a more restrained approach can easily skip them. I highly recommend checking out this book, but I suggest reading Morbidly Yours first to fully appreciate the depth of their love story.

Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

3.5⭐️ rounded up! I enjoyed this book and loved returning to Galway and getting to see all the characters from Morbidly Yours. That being said I LOVED Morbidly Yours so the bar was high, and while I loved Lo and Aiden, I think the plot of this one didn’t draw me in quite as much. Also Lo’s mom drove me insane and even though her concern came from a good place, I wanted Lo to stand up for herself a little more. The spice was good though 🌶️

I still would recommend this book/ series and am so excited to read Saoirse’s story! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC!