I absolutely loved this book through chapter 24 or 25. We’re immediately immersed in a future timeline with two characters that obviously cared deeply for each other, but haven’t been together in 2+ years. Some of the magic of their initial connection was lost with this setup, but their emotions were palpable.

Aidan was absolutely done for—he was so sweet and obsessed with Lo. Their dynamic was fun, hot, and a little snarky at times. It was nice seeing Aidan and Lo interact with characters from Morbidly Yours in the context of Callum and Lark’s wedding. Their tryst was meant to be “temporary” over the wedding weekend, and there was a natural conclusion to the story at this stage when they decided there was a path forward for them. I was hoping for more when the book continued past this moment, but the plot fell off a bit. The miscommunication or just utter lack of communication, and separation so quickly after that moment made the third quarter of the book drag a bit, and still somehow the ending felt a bit rushed. There were a few moments that just felt like someone had pressed the fast forward button, and suddenly someone was making a decision that I didn’t feel like had been adequately explored or discussed.

Overall, expect some really cute moments, a fair bit of spice (plus exploration of a dynamic that is not featured in mainstream romance often enough), and a little bit of angst.

I’m really, really hoping for a Saoirse enemies to lovers situation next.

PS - I am typically a second chance romance hater, but neither of these two did anything awful to cause the breakup. Their main problem was being afraid and failing to fight for the love that they had after such a short relationship.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

As always a huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for this arc. Much like Morbidly Yours, I absolutely loved this book. The appearances of past characters was a super fun addition to the story, and I enjoyed the premise. Two people who used to have a romantic history being forced to work together for their friends romantic event? Sounds soooo good, and it was! Not to mention the cover on this one is yet again adorable and definitely makes you want to pick it up! You should definitely check this one out!

I absolutely loved the first book "Morbidly Yours", so naturally when I had realized that there was going to be a second book; I was ecstatic. So, I want to thank Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

That being said, this book kind of left me disappointed. I absolutely loved getting to see Lark and Callum get married, that I think was probably my favorite part about this book, sorry.

It did disappoint me that we didn't get to see Lo and Aiden fall in love with each other the first time, but I think overall the idea of them getting a second chance made the story more intriguing, hence why I was really looking forward to it. But on the note of this book being a second chance romance (this is where it kind of fell apart for me and where I didn't really click with it); the story initially starts out of course post-breakup and from Lo's perspective she's still hurt and a little bitter about it and she talks about how she's going to have to bear through seeing Aiden again. And then after the little "snarky" (I'm not sure what other word to describe it) moment between Aiden and Lo when they first see each other again, I was expecting there to be some kind of tension or back and forth banter between the two during the events leading up to and during the wedding weekend (you know, two exes who are obviously still in love with each other but have some animosity over the breakup); but, there wasn't any, the pair seemed to get along well and sort of "fell back in to old habits". So that was pretty disappointing, because maybe it's just me, but I like banter and a bit of drama. Now don't get me wrong this book was cute and I had my laugh out loud moments, but I also couldn't help but feel that there were moments that were slightly predictable and there were certain romantic scenes or scenarios that felt out of place or forced. I hate to single anything out and maybe I'm the only one who felt this way but the scene with the bird attack felt out of place and totally random, maybe it was set up to be kind of bizarre on purpose, but I felt that the circumstance in that scene could have been a little bit different.

All that being said, this book was cute and had its moments but for me it fell a little short.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Ivy Fairbanks for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I did not read the first book, Morbidly Yours, and this worked for me as a standalone. I really liked the tropes, the wedding shenanigans, *the car/sheep scene*, the struggles(emotionally with family dynamics and burnout). The ending was a little generic for me, but it was still very sweet.

I would love to see a book for Saoirse. She deserves her own love story!

This is my first book by this author and it was a rather enjoyable, emotional and very fun read!

Lo and Aidan have a very complicated history and though they have avoided each other for 2 years they finally come face to face and Lo hates that all the feelings come rushing back. She’s sass and fire trying to show Aidan she doesn’t need him or love him anymore but she can’t fight forever!!

This was a very beautiful story but as sassy as Lo is I wish we would’ve seen her use it more when necessary. So many great characters in the book and I love how strong and sure Aidan is about them and that he shows Lo that sometimes you can have it all!

While I enjoyed Morbidly Yours and felt very set up for these two having a romance, I had a hard time feeling invested in Cielo + Aidans story here! Second chance romances aren’t really my cup of tea, and some of the spice in this wasn’t either 😅 I loved returning to Galloway and imagining the accents, just wish I had felt more connected to both the love story and side plots!

Ever grateful for NetGalley + G P Putnam’s Sons for the chance to enjoy this ARC and review honestly.

sigh, this was one of my most anticipated reads since i found out about it after absolutely loving morbidly yours and unfortunately i did not love it.

what started of promising died a very fast death around the 80% mark which i should have seen coming as “i love yous” were exchanged 76% in. as this was a second chance romance i tried not to think too hard into it, hoping that maybe wed just get fluff for the rest but i knew as soon as i read the end of 29 exactly what was coming lol.

what followed after was honestly my last straw with lo. i tried to keep pushing my feelings about her to the side, you know shes been through a lot but at what point are we going to call it what it is that she just simply isnt likeable. letting people rule your life the way she does is just insane at her grown age. she is everything that is wrong with the miscommunication trope. she lets nobody give their side of things before assuming the worst and shutting down. in all honesty aidan deserves better plain and simple.

i enjoyed this book for the most part, i loved getting to see cal and larks wedding shenanigans, i loved all things aidan but at the end of the day lo kind of spoiled it all for me. i had no interest in finishing the book after her thousandth melt down over easily avoidable things.

A second chance romance set at an Irish castle in the countryside? AND he's a musician? Oh I am so in.

This book follows Lo and Aiden as they must reunite after a tumultuous break up to be the best man and maid of honor at the best friends' wedding. When old memories and feelings arise, can Lo and Aiden fight off their disdain, and reignited attraction, for each other?

Aiden stole the show for me in this book as the dreamy folk musician that only wrote songs about Lo. As a huge music lover, I felt so attached to their story and how Aiden's music told each part of it so beautifully. While there were moments that lost me (ie. singing during unspeakable times), this was a fun read.

I really enjoyed Morbidly Yours so when I found out that the sequel, Heart Strings, was on its way, I had high hopes. This did not disappoint. We return in time for Lark and Callum’s wedding, yet it is Lark’s cousin, Ceilo, and the couple’s friend Aidan that take center stage in this second-chance romance. Although we don’t get to experience Lo and Aidan initially falling in love (which is my favorite part of any romance), we do get to see them reconcile not only with each other, but with themselves as they realize the various ways they have been holding themselves back from happiness with each other. This approach was both fulfilling and refreshing as it didn’t follow the trajectory of the first novel while still keeping the bits of the Galway series we have come to love.

While the characters weren’t as instantly loveable to me as Lark and Callum, these two grew on me as their story became more involved, especially near the middle and end. Like Morbidly Yours, there is an undercurrent of serious emotion beneath the fluffy, feel-good romance which helps keep this grounded (and made me cry, obviously). And though there were times that I felt Aidan’s inner voice was a bit too flowery even for a singer/songwriter, it did contrast nicely with Ceilo’s direct, analytic narration.

Overall, I found this to be quite entertaining and engaging, and I’m very excited by the hints for the next book’s main character and love interest! Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC to read and review!

Ivy Fairbanks does it again in this trip back to Galway in Heart Strings.

Ceilo "Lo" doesn't give second chances, and frankly, I get it for what she has been through; cancer, her dad leaving when she was sick, and some overall shitty experiences, including being heartbroken by Aiden O'Toole. But Aiden is determined to prove to her that second chances are and could be a good thing. Well, the stars align for Aiden when he and Lo are thrown together for Callum and Lark's wedding as Best Man and Maid of Honor. The chaos and romance that ensues is absolute perfection.

One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was the growth that both Lo and Aiden show by the end of this book. This wasn't a journey for just one character, it is for both. We see Lo stand up for herself to her mom, break down the wall that she put there and start letting people in. And Aiden stands up for what is important for him in his life with his music career.

I absolutely LOVED seeing all my favorite characters from Morbidly Yours, and I _think_ we get a glimpse of who is next in the Love in Galway series?!

This second chance exes-to-lovers romance was the perfect read.

Thank you Putnam books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

***Trigger Warning: Cancer***

I thought this was really cute. I am not a fan of the second-chance romance trope. I love that this had so many callbacks to the first book. I should have reread before reading this one ( because I forgot some of the things that happened in that one). But overall I did enjoy this and I would suggest this series..

Thank you, Ivy Fairbanks, Putnman books, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This comes out on August 12!

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet second chance love story! Aiden and Cielo were both relatable MCs going through challenges and trying to decide to lean on each other or go it alone. It was a very lovely quick read I would recommend!

This book had so many things that I love.
A second chance romance? ✅
A plus size, hyper independent fmc? ✅✅
A hot, tattooed, redhead musician mmc? ✅✅✅

I really like Cielo, I think her character was so well written. She made the exact choices I would have made as a fellow hyper-independent woman with daddy issues. Something about it just didn’t quite make me obssesed though. I think I wanted more angst. These two were so obviously in love with each other right off the bat, which was lovely, but I wanted a little more tension. The sexy scenes also didn’t really do much for me, so.

Overall I think it’s a sweet story. I love that there was no third act breakup. It was a quick, pleasant read and I’ll definitely be coming back to read the next one!

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this one with seeing how Lo and Aidan's relationship unfolded and how Aidan showed up for Lo with everything after not doing so the first time around. I'm glad they got to have their second chance at love. I enjoy the dual POV's, that way you can see inside both of their heads instead of only getting one side to the story. I sincerely hope Ivy Fairbanks writes a third to the series with Saoirse and Gabe.

I requested this ARC because I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and was surprised how much I liked it. This effort is not as strong, in my opinion. I liked Cielo and Aidan, but the premise seems ridiculous for no reason (she's dating the Noah Kahan of Galway right before he makes it big? Or something like that with less TikTok?) and some of the side characters are so outrageous that resolutions don't even feel useful (Cielo's mom, I'm looking at you). I will definitely read the third one in the series, but this is a 3.25 rounded up because I'm on vacation and would like to go to Ireland.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

Morally gray men? Fan of The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Carbbean? Ok say no more! I loved this book.

I enjoyed this author's writing style.

I love books inspired by our beloved princesses but give it a twist. Love the fantasy elements.

I cannot wait to see what the author does for the next part. A great debut novel!

I’m normally not one for gingers, but Aiden stole my heart right away. I loved how bad these two had it for each other even after two years apart. Aiden was happy to take any crumbs Cielo gave him and Lo fought hard, but ultimately couldn’t deny that he still had her heart. Ivy did a great job of making their reconnecting authentic and natural. I can’t wait for the third book in the Love in Galway series.

A sweet, spicy second chance romance that I couldn’t put down. I connected with Cielo right off the bat and saw so much of myself in her. Aidan was such a sweet family man. I loved reading this story!

I really must be in my second chance romance era and I am NOT complaining!

This was a good second chance romance. Both characters had to face their part in the ending of their relationship the first go around and had some growing to do. Their dedication to doing things differently the second go around, while has some ups and downs, is what makes this a good second chance romance.

I loved the setting and the entire cast of characters throughout the book. I did read this without reading Morbidly Yours first, and didn't feel lost or confused by the mention of anything that happened in that book. This does make me want to go and read Morbidly Yours because I found that I really enjoy Ivy Fairbanks' style of writing.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

There’s a lot to like about this book — the setting is lovely, the side characters are fun, the tropes are troping — but there were a few things I had a hard time overlooking: we’re told ad nauseam that Lo is strong, lively, generous, and patient, but all we’re shown is a neurotic mess with control issues who isn’t in any position to be in a relationship with anybody but her therapist. Aidan is painted as a passionate, soulful artist but he just seems boring and starry-eyed. The biggest sin, the one I simply can’t forgive, is that he sings during phone sex. I don’t kink shame, but if someone tried to sing to me during sex, I think I’d just give up and run away forever. Imagine someone singing during sex. Actually, don’t.