Cielo doesn’t give second chances and holds grudges closer than tattoo ink, so being reunited with her ex after two years in order to make their BFFs’ wedding weekend run smoothly is not something she’s looking forward to. She just wants to focus on her medical training, her best friend’s happiness, and getting another all-clear on the annual testing that ensures her childhood cancer is still in remission.

Aiden reluctantly let Cielo go when she refused to do long-distance while he recorded his first album (which was a love letter to her). He sees the wedding weekend reunion as a chance to show her they can make it, if she’d only let go of trying to control everything around her at all times.

The wedding reunion gives us lots to love, but what happens afterward really grabs the reader by the heart. This story has tingles, chuckles, swoony songwriting, relatable complicated family dynamics, great friendships and hope.

An enjoyable second in the Love in Galway series. Fingers crossed that we get to see what’s up with Saoirse next!

Read the content warnings.

Read if you like:
Contemporary Romance
Second-chance love stories
Dimples
Latina American x Irishman
Doctor x singer-songwriter
Laughs
Curvy female main characters
Wedding shenanigans
Open-door spice
Respectfully inclusive and accepting stories
Tattoos

I liked that we got to see Lark and Callum's wedding and I thought that was a good way to bring Aidan and Cielo back together. Overall I enjoyed this but not as much as the first book.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge Ivy Fairbanks fan, this was a treat to read! Aiden and Cielo (Lo) are really fun to follow in this second-chance romance. Lo's dealing with a post-cancer life that has it's own challenges as she works to complete her studies and become a doctor. Aiden is a music star on the brink who is clearly still hung up on Lo and hoping for another chance.

I really liked Lo's development as she navigates what life looks like as someone who has to monitor her health and care for it despite a busy medical student schedule. Aiden is far from an annoying rock star and I adored how much he didn't fall into the traps of fame.

Overall this was a fun continuation in this series and I enjoyed the chemistry and longing between the leads.

Special thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC!

I received this book as an ARC and I enjoyed it immensely. I really liked Morbidly Yours and Ivy Fairbanks has delivered again with Heart Strings. This story is about two soulmates that find their way back together after being apart for two years. This book explores difficult themes and how we must overcome our past trauma in order to open ourselves up to love. I highly recommend reading Cielo and Aidan’s story. You won’t be disappointed!

The banter was cute, the characters were charismatic, the side characters were fun, and the writing was great. Another solid book from Ivy,

Ivy Fairbanks simply never misses. This was such a great follow up to Morbidly Yours (which I also loved). Cielo and Aiden were such complicated, relatable characters and even though their initial breakup was so frustrating you get to see why they broke up as well as seeing them learn how to build back that trust. This was a fun, sweet book but it also had a lot of emotional depth. Cielo and Aiden both had to grow and change in ways in order to be in a relationship together and they both had past issues that made that hard for them. I loved their willingness to put in the work and how strong it made them.
I also really loved that most of this book centered around Lark and Callum’s wedding so we got to see them again. This was an incredible book that I’ll definitely be reading again and again.

Read if you like:
-Irish musicians
-second chance romance
-forced proximity
-“it’s always been you”
-fun with ropes
-a little bit of angst

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!!

I love Fairbanks' writing! I enjoyed the character development of the two leads but felt like the end was a little rushed. Otherwise, great story!

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC. The story starts off with Lo, who is a medical student in Ireland, helping her cousin Lark plan her wedding. Unfortunately, as part of the wedding package, is having to deal with her ex, Aidan. Aidan and Lo had met and fell in love, but had broken up due to Aidan's rise in fame as a singer. As Lo and Aidan help with the wedding, they realize their connection is still there and sparks start back up. As they each work through their issues, they realize that their love is worth the fight. This was a perfect second chance romance as Lo and Aidan had great banter, spice, and emotional grit which made their relationship believable and sweet. I would definitely recommend this romance!

4.25⭐️

This was so cute! I loved reading about Aiden and Lo’s story and the growth both of them went through together. I was so happy to see that Lark and Cal played such a big role in this book since I loved their relationship from the first book. Lo really struggled with control and her past abandonment but Aiden was such a great match for her to let herself go and embrace the people around her.

My only complain is that while I loved to see the development and connection between Lo and Aiden, I almost wished it was a fresh relationship rather than a breakup and makeup situation. I felt like we lost a lot of the depth of what they went through by skipping those years they were together. The memories they brought up just weren’t enough for me to get the whole picture.

I can’t wait for the next book!!!

I really loved this one! The relationship between Cielo (Lo) and Aiden felt so genuine, and her insecurities towards relationships were VERY relatable!

Normally second-chance romances aren't my favorite books, but this one was an absolute exception. Their slow burn reconnect was perfect and their circumstances towards their breakup were for legitimate reasons. they worked through their differences and concerns and were truly a perfect power couple.

Thank you so much SO much NetGalley and Penguin Group PUTNAM for the opportunity to review Heart Strings! I'll definitely be buying a physical copy of this book for my collection.

3.25 / 5 Stars

This was a fun, second-chance romance. Lo is a hyper-independent, determined, medical student who survived cancer at a young age. When she moved from Austin, TX to Ireland to attend medical school, she met Aidan, a charming musician. Their relationship was unlike anything either had experienced until Aidan got a chance to move to London, record an album (all about her), and tour, and left her in the dust without fighting for their relationship. Or at least that’s what it felt like to Lo. To Aidan, it seemed that Lo closed herself off from the chance of even trying long distance, so why would he push her to do something that she clearly didn’t want to do? Two years have passed and they are now attending Lo’s cousin’s and Aidan’s best friend’s wedding. How will they survive being near each other again? Or are the best things still ahead?

I enjoyed the two main characters. Lo not wanting to feel like a burden to others really resonated and her determination to succeed in medical school was really admirable. Aidan’s love for her felt special and healing. I struggled a little bit with feeling like I was missing pieces of information and maybe I was because this is the second book in a series, so it is on me for not reading the first book first. But sometimes, I was left wondering if I would have felt like I understood them better if I had read about their interactions in real time as opposed to descriptions of the past and I think that perhaps those pieces would have been in the first book.

Also, originally, they both felt like the other one was responsible for their break-up and I enjoyed that because it showed the nuances of miscommunication and different view points. However, at one point, one character (trying not to spoil anything here) decided that they were going fully in to win back the other, but I felt like I missed whatever thinking got them from feeling resentful to being fully in again so quickly. That piece felt a little rushed but perhaps I missed something. This book did make me want to read the first book and I am looking forward to that!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Heart Strings is a sweet and spicy second chance romance between America born med student Cielo Valdez and Irish solicitor-turned-musician Aidan O'Toole. Two years after their relationship ended because of Aidan's career change, the two come together to celebrate their best friend's wedding (Callum and Lark from Morbidly Yours). Lo wants to avoid Aidan and her feelings she still has for him while Aidan wants nothing more than to apologize and rekindle things.

Cielo and Aidan try to overcome their past hurt to heal old wounds but it is hard to learn to let go and forgive when the real world comes knocking after the wedding weekend.

Cute, sweet and heartwarming story of second chances and true love. Cielo was great and strong FMC. Aidan loved her the way she deserved.
There were funny moments and bits that made me teary eye. Nice balance between swoony and angsty.

I'm a sucker for second chance romance. Cielo aka Lo and Aidan dated for six months until Aidan decided pursue his music career. He left everything he loved including Lo to follow his dreams. Now Lo's cousin is getting married and she will have to reunite with the man that left her completely heartbroken. I had fun reading this, it was cute while also touching upon some serious topics. I just wished this book had more flashbacks about their relationship before they had broken up. I also wished there was more tension to them back together. Otherwise I liked it! Thank you netgalley and putnam books for the opportunity to read this arc!

Lo is busy going to medical school and helping her cousin Lark plan her wedding, so the last thing she needs is for the her ex to give her trouble. Aidan went off and became a famous musician, leaving Lo behind. But Aidan wants Lo back. He hasn’t been able to get her off his mind. Lo is stubborn and doesn’t forgive easily, but Aidan isn’t quick to give up.

This was super cute. Dual pov. Loveable main characters. Perfect for people who love second chance romances. Aidan’s family had such a cozy vibe, this book was just so fun. I will say it was a bit verbose at points and the inner monologues got pretty lengthy. But all around great read!

Dual POV
Second chance romance
Set in Galway
Hot musician

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heart Strings is an interconnected standalone by Ivy Fairbanks, and is the follow-up to 2024's Morbidly Yours. It is a second chance romance between two characters we meet in Morbidly Yours: Lo and Aidan. Cielo (Lo) is an aspiring physician, in medical school in Galway, Ireland,,,a decision she made to put an ocean between her and her overbearing, overprotective mother in Texas. Aidan is a former-solicitor-turned-musician who has hit overnight success. Before moving to London to begin his career as a recording artist, complete with big-time record label and a tour, Aidan and Lo, who have been together about six months, break up after being unable to find a way forward with their diverging life plans.

Like with the first Love in Galway novel, I thought the writing was very strong and I was emotionally invested in the characters and their second chance romance. I just wish that we would have had a bit more insight into their previous relationship. We get bits and pieces as throwaway observations, but I think it would have helped their relationship to feel a bit more substantial if the reader could experience some of the past, perhaps though flashbacks.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Heart Strings and rooting for Lo and Aidan to fall back in love. I especially think Aidan was swoon-worthy...he never gave up on their love and was more than willing to fight for their relationship the second go-around.

There are some trigger warnings I'd note before diving into this book, specifically past cancer diagnosis (leukemia).

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Putnam Books for an advanced copy of Heart Strings.

Cielo and Aiden’s story was so beautiful in a very unexpected way. When they kissed at 30% and basically admitted they still cared about each other I was a little bummed- where’s all the tension right?! But everything that happened after the wedding, watching them slowly regain each others trust, seeing Cielo learn how to lean on the people who love her, seeing Aiden stay true to himself all because of Lo- it was such a beautiful REAL love story. I came into this thinking it’d be a cute second chance romance with some contrived hijinks to get them back together- and there was a little of that but the way Ivy Fairbanks took this in such a heartwarming and realistic direction was way better. I loved it!

this was my first introduction to ivy fairbanks’ work and let me tell you, she blew me away. heart strings is a second chance romance that follows mexican-american med student cielo and irish singer/songwriter aidan. this was such a beautiful story about the right person but wrong time. you could feel aidan’s love for cielo through the pages, it was so tangible. it was a clear example of “if he wanted to, he would” because every trust that was broken that led to their breakup in the beginning, aidan worked over time to repair it not only with his words but his actions. I wish the epilogue was a bit more detailed, I wanted more from them but overall this was a really good read. thank you NetGalley and the publishing for sending me this arc for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cielo “Lo” Valdez is a tough cookie. Having beaten cancer, she’s pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. When her cousin’s wedding brings her face to face with the ex that left her for his music career, she resolves to keep him at a distance. Aidan O’Toole regrets ending things with Lo. Determined to win her back, he tries to convince her that their song isn’t over.

We got a glimpse of Lo and Aidan in Morbidly Yours, and I was excited to see their love story. I think Ms. Fairbanks did a great job of showing Lo let her guard down and begin to let Aidan in. Lo had cancer as a child, and she feels that she was the cause of her parents’ divorce. Because of this she’s become hyper independent and unfortunately had an all or nothing mentality. From her perspective, if Aidan pursues his career, they can’t be together. She acknowledges her part in the break up and how her upbringing affected her. There’s a lot of open communication between the two which was great to see. I really liked both characters. Their commitment to each other shined beautifully. I loved how they each supported the other’s dreams. Also, thank you so much for not writing a third act break up.

Their relationship arc felt organic and real. They were two adults trying to figure out how to make their relationship work given the specific circumstances they find themselves in. I really felt the love they shared for each other. I very much enjoyed their love story, and I’m excited to reach Saoirse’s story next.

another second chance romance to add to my collection 😈

this book took me right back to Galway after finishing Morbidly Yours, and at this point I think I’m hyperfixating on Ireland. Sue me. But we get little time jump a few years in the future, a few years after Lo and Aidan called it quits after six months of dating when he moved to London to pursue his dream of being a musician. Forced to reunite for Callum and Lark’s upcoming wedding, Lo and Aidan are also forced to reckon with their lingering feelings years after their painful breakup.

both characters had their reasons to give up on their relationship, but a few years later, with the opportunity to reconcile, these two must decide whether it’s worth putting their hearts on the line one more time.

Lo was incredibly relatable in this book. A hyper-independent girlie who thinks she can do/fix anything herself, never wants to burden her loved ones by needing their help, and cutting off anyone who’s wronged her to try and preserve her heart that’s really quite fragile underneath the walls shes built. Aidan has to try and tear those walls down to get back the love of his life, and seeing these two grow and change and learn from the mistakes of their past was so gratifying.

I felt the writing improved a bit from Morbidly Yours, but I do still think there was some dialogue/moments that felt a bit disjointed/unrealistic. I decided to give this one 3.75 stars but all around it was a really lovely book and I’m HOPING that miss Saoirse maybe gets a book next 👀